STAFFSPOTLIGHT-RENUKAPEIRIS

By Elena Sofia Uzielli '25

As part of our mission to better integrate the Tuskan Times in the scholastic community we have decided to de aff Spotlights’. These are brief biographies about members of facu g crew to administration. The ‘Staff Spotlights’ give everyone a n’t otherwise know about, and they aim to promote open, n between members of the ISF family Enjoy!

Renuka Peiris, commonly known as Renu, is a member of the cleaning crew here at the International School of Florence. Her full name is Renuka Malani Priyanthi Kurukulasuriya Peiris, but as she herself says, three names and two surnames are a bit too long to use on a daily basis

Renuka is Sinhalese/Sri Lankan, born in Chilaw, but she has lived in Italy for the past 22 years. She grew up in Chilaw with her parents and her 5 siblings (three sisters and two brothers).

Renuka’s mother worked around the house and sold her home-made food, while her father was a fisherman. Their family had very little money, and it was often hard for them to go to school or even put food on the table. Renuka’s school had no food, so she would have to wait to get home in order to have dinner, which, occasionally, consisted of only a slice of bread.

She liked going to school, but often lacked the opportunity due to the difficulties at home Renuka says that her past is impossible to sum up in a few words because it is ‘bitter’, and requires much time and patience to properly recount.

At about the age of twelve Renu had lost both of her parents Consequently, she was raised by her older sister; Viyani Renu says that Viyani was like a mother to her. She lived in Sri Lanka until she was 29, then moved to Italy with her husband, Suji, and first-born daughter Renu currently lives with her husband, her eldest daughter with her husband, and her second-born daughter

Renu has lived in Florence since before Villa Torri di Gattaia became ISF’s Upper School campus, and started working here shortly after the Villa became an educational facility Renuka has worked at ISF on and off, and, while liking it here, she would much rather be in Sri Lanka.

The things she most enjoys are cooking and spending quality time with her loved ones

Renu describes herself as someone who has suffered a lot in the past and, though in different ways, continues to do so now. Despite this, she has always picked herself up and taken courage thanks to her beliefs and her family Above all thanks to her husband, who, to her, has been not only a spouse but also a parent, a brother, and most importantly, a friend