Peruth Kalisa was born in Rwanda, Central Africa; and moved to Windsor in August 1991, with her husband and two sons. In March 1992, Peruth completed the WEST CO-OP program at the University of Windsor - Continuing Education.

Peruth says, "Attending WEST programs helped me integrate into the new Canadian Culture and also gave me a chance to learn and appreciate other cultures. Through WEST, I had my first learning opportunities with computers."

 

As a result of these experiences, Peruth developed an interest in computers technology. As a result, she took an Information Technology course at St. Clair College and upon graduating, obtained employment as a Programmer/Technical Support. Peruth later went back to school and completed a Network Engineering program. Since then, Peruth has been employed by the Greater Essex County District School Board, as a School Support Technician.

Starting a new life in Canada was a huge challenge for Peruth. In April 1994, her home country was torn apart by a civil war that resulted in Genocide. Peruth lost more than 30 family members including both parents and 5 siblings. After the war, she learned that two brothers and two sisters had survived. With the help of teachers, friends, good neighbors, and local churches, Peruth was able to bring her siblings to Canada.

Peruth firmly believes that those who support organizations such as WEST touch more lives than they will ever know.