How it all began.
It was Fall Conference 1999 that Laurie Radloff stood before over 400 owners, managers, suppliers and UNIGLOBE employees to read us a story. A story of children in the far reaches of the globe that were forgotten by most of us who reside in more fortunate circumstances. These children did not have the advantages or resources that we all take for granted in our daily lives; such as food, clothing, education and clean drinking water.

It was Laurie's dream to give back to the world in anyway we could by making a difference and indeed changing these lives for the better. That afternoon. UNIGLOBE Travel Western Canada took hold of this initiative and together we sponsored 147 children in more than 12 countries throughout the world through Plan Canada.

Laurie's dream was not complete - her wish was to raise enough money to build a school, create a permanent center that would enrich the lives of many children for years to come. Through various fundraising efforts UNIGLOBE Travel began to build the foundation of that dream - a girl's school within an impoverished community on the continent of Africa.

You need an education to grow.
Click here to read more about five vocational schools for girls in Guinea. The goal was one school, with five being built and maintained to date.

As Laurie always said, "With adversity, tragedy and turmoil comes opportunity." With the tragic, untimely passing of our friend, our mentor and our leader comes an opportunity; an opportunity to build a legacy that will carry Laurie's name, memory and aspiration for generations to come.

To build this vision into reality UNIGLOBE Travel Western Canada and the Radloff family have created the Laurie Radloff Foundation. This foundation will raise funds to build The Laurie Radloff Centre for Learning, a girl's school in Africa. With your support we can build a lifetime legacy to a woman who touched each of us, enriched our lives and has left this world a better place. More information about the Laurie Radloff Foundation can be found here.

Giving the gift of water.
Building upon the tremendous success of the vocational training schools "Center Nafas for Learning", Uniglobe Travel and Plan Canada recognized the urgent need for clean drinking water in many of the communities. In 2006, the Laurie Radloff Memorial Fund committed to funding a comprehensive water project benefiting the lives of thousands of children and their families. The Gift of Water Project will be implemented in five communities already benefiting from the Centre Nafa Schools Project.

The project focuses on working with the communities to improve accessibility to safe water, while promoting healthy activities to address hygiene concerns. Each community will benefit from a new water well, volunteer skills training and health/ hygiene education programs. More information about the water project in Guinea can be found here.

Making Children Healthy
With UNIGLOBE's support, a health care project in Niger will increase access to primary health care services to rural, remote areas in several villages that make up the community of Tillabery, Niger. This project will impact a total of 20,000 people, and will focus on early detection and deterrence of preventable illnesses including childhood immunization, growth monitoring, proper nutrition and safe motherhood programs. For more information on the Health Project in Niger, please click here.

Sponsoring a Child.
Uniglobe Travel provides over $8000 annually to sponsor 21 children around the world - forever changing their lives.

For more information on how you can sponsor a child, please click here.
 

Successes to date - as of January 2007.

Guinea Schools Project - Laurie Radloff Memorial Fund. Over $75,000 has been raised to build and maintain five schools Center Nafas to provide girls with an education.

Guinea Water Project - $85, 641.00 has been raised for the development of a new water well, volunteer skills training and health/hygeine education campaigns in each community.

Niger Health Project - $33, 694 has been raised to date for the development of Health centers focused on early detection and deterrence of preventable illnesses including immunization, growth monitoring and safe motherhood programs.

To make a donation to any one of these projects, please click here.