Local woman heading to South Africa

Chris Davis, Pincher Creek Voice

Laura Renee Maloff
C. Davis photo

Laura Renee Maloff of Cowley has an interesting couple of weeks ahead of her. She will be heading to KwaZulu, South Africa, which is close to Johannesberg, leaving May 25 and coming back June 12.

Maloff has volunteered with Reach Out Volunteers, an organization that works to provide infrastructure to impoverished village communities around the world.  She will help build an orphanage one week and will work on a wildlife reserve for the second week of her adventure.

Maloff is a graduate of Livingstone School in Lundbreck.  She will be going into her third year at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, where she is an English major, with a minor in creative writing.

"I was standing outside my class one day," Maloff said, "and this guy approached me. He handed me a flier.  I didn't think anything of it.  About a week later I was going through my school bag, and it said 'volunteer in South Africa'.  I started looking into it more.  I talked to both my parents and both of them were all 'No. No!'."  Apparently they have since come around to her point of view.  "They've been been supportive.  Mom's been a really big help.  She paid for all my vaccinations."

Volunteers pay Reach Out Volunteers to participate, and must also cover their own airfare, vaccination costs, travel insurance, passport, and visa costs.

"We have to pay for the program cost itself, which is about $1200, and you have to pay for your place,  but food and everything else is free," she explained. "I've paid for it myself."

"Of course, I'm excited," she concluded.  "I had a countdown going on my wall back in school."

Related link: www.rovolunteers.com