Pushpa Kalubowila hails from a rural environment in Sri Lanka. Her father Amarasisri Ralahamy was the rural development guru of Arukwatta, Padukka, a village 20 miles south east of Colombo. Amarasiri Ralahamy pioneered many development projects from 1950 to 1980 developing Arukwatta and its surrounding suburbs in the areas of health, education, agriculture, sanitation, adult education, Cottage Industry, Red Cross, Girl Guides and providing buildings for schools for the community. His leadership, organizational skills and development work has been recognized, the result of which was Arukwatta was awarded a model village in late sixties. His daughter Pushpa has followed father's footsteps, being thousands of miles away from her motherland, to be successful in the UK.

Pushpa Kalubowila attached to West Hearts College, in Hertfordshire, as a Lecturer in Accounting and Business Studies has been recognized for her skills in 'selecting, pioneering and designing of accountancy courses at West Hearts College and has won the "2002 Top College Award" for West Herts College from the International Auditors Board (IAB).

Known to many as Pushpa Kalu, in her professional capacity, she is currently reading for the MBA course at the University of Hertfordshire. She has a string of academic and professional qualifications staring with a first degree from the University of Sri Lanka in BA Economics in 1971. In 1972 she has upgraded herself with a B.Phil in Economics (1st Hons), and in the UK she has obtained City & Guilds 7307 certificate on Teacher Training qualifications from the University of Herts. She is also in possession of the Assessor Verifier Awards: TDLB: D32,D33 & D36; Diploma in Marketing Part I,from the City of London Polytechnic and M.Sc. Development Economics (partial completion) at the University of London.

Pushpa started her working career in Sri Lanka as a Lecturer in Economics and Accounting at the University of Colombo. Since migrating to the UK she has had wide and varied experience in the field of accountancy before she embarked on a lecturing career. One glance at her impressive C.V. shows that she has been working as Accounts Manager with Burton Group, Finance Officer at Church Housing Association, Legal Accountant for Roiter Sucker Solicitors, Accounts for Henry Boot Plc, Deputy Financial Controller at Herts Rental UK, and Unit Accountant at Glynwed International Plc.

Attached to Herts College as a Lecturer in Accounting and Business Studies she has the responsibility of designing, pioneering and delivering modular accounting qualifications, including Diploma in Computerized Accounting, Diploma in Payroll Administration to meet the community's ' Skills-Gap'.

She also works as a coordinator for IAB/AAT/NVQ accounting courses, works closely with the WHC BMC providing management training for non-finance managers and designs and writes study material for training. While writing, verifying and accessing AVCE/NVQ material within provider framework she delivers GNVQ advanced business finance units in 'smart cluster' with the involvement of local business community and tutors final year students on UCAS references, giving academic and general guidance on personal development.

Pushpa Kalu, who is married with three children, takes an active in interest in the education and involves in organizing social functions at work and for Sri Lankan Organizations. She says she likes to make a conscious effort to be involved in work, study, friends and community matters and gardening and swimming help her to relax for new challenges.

Pushpa Kalu has by no means been just a desert flower born to be blush unseen and waste its sweetness either on Sri Lankan or British air; her loss to her motherland, Sri Lanka has certainly been a tremendous gain to Britain.