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4- The Oakville Beaver, Friday January 19, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com Aid worker expects to gain more than she gives Continued from page 3 risk of malaria is high and Stone said mosquitoes tend to like her. Knee-length or longer skirts will be the order of the day not just for the bugs, but also the penchant for males of the culture to admire women's legs. The temperature is in the mid-30s Celsius and feels like it's in the 40s. There is no running water and sporadic electricity. Stone will live in a guest house with other volunteers at the residence of the PCO's executive director -- away from the refugee camp. The camp however is fully self-sustaining as, Stone explained, most of the Liberians living there are not allowed to work in Ghana, so they do so within the camp. Everything they need to survive is there, from markets to an Internet cafe -- though the power for it isn't that reliable, she said. Stone said she has been in touch with volunteers who are currently there and others who have been there and learned that daily life will consist of working within the camp and then retiring to her residence to eat, read and sleep. Stone will have weekends off and volunteers are encouraged to explore the bustling metropolitan city of Accra, its amenities and its many markets. Stone left for the Toronto airport Saturday afternoon. She was destined for Amsterdam, then Ghana and then the 30mile ride to reach the camp. She was to be arriving by -- our time -- Sunday night near midnight -- much earlier on Sunday -- their time. Stone said it was her choice how long she stayed. She could have chosen anywhere from two weeks to three months. She said her sister and best friend will both marry this spring so she had to head home for those weddings. "I'm more excited than nervous, I'm kind of ready for the adventure. Stacey Stone Volunteer aid worker "I'm more excited than nervous, I'm kind of ready for the adventure," said Stone, noting that it may be the only time in her life that she's able to make such a commitment. And she fully expects her experience will change her life. Stone said she paid $1,700 in airfare and a program fee that amounts to only a few dollars a day for food and lodging. She won't get paid for her work, but said she expects she'll be more enriched for the experience than what she is able to provide in her volunteer effort. While Stone has a friend who backpacked on her own through Africa, and her sister Lisa Stone, 36, works in an American school in Mexico, Stone said she's never really done anything like this -- or contemplated it -- outside of family vacations. Her other sister, Kim Stone, 34, teaches here in Oakville. Her parents, dad Foster who works for Young Drivers of Canada and her mom, Leanne, who manages a postal outlet, will no doubt be glad when Stone arrives back home. Though she hasn't lived at home much in recent years while working in Ottawa, Stone said her parents still worry and said, "You want to do what?" when she told them of her plans. The PCO is working with refugees on peace and conflict resolution, runs a Mothers' Skill Training Centre, adult literacy, micro-business management, and more. For more on GVN visit www.volunteer.org.nz. -- Angela Blackburn can be reached at angela@oakvillebeaver.com. Come In From The Cold Watch for our Pre-Season Vermont Castings BBQ Sale Coming Soon! "MASONRY & FIREPLACE DESIGN SPECIALISTS" w w w. c o b b l e s t o n e m e m b e r s . c o m ACROSS FROM RONA LANSING 905.337.2066 406 SPEERS RD., OAKVILLE ECOR & MO Moving Sale! - 60 0 gel Bo or & M Road, U 5 20-70 9 LE IDD ER M AST UPPROAD E % OFF EVERYTHING IN THE STORE Our Resolution Sale just made it a whole lot easier for you to stick to your resolutions. Come in and save 20 ­ 70% on the widest selection of New Balance shoes, accessories and apparel. Make 2007 the year you turn your resolutions into reality. 8 403 TH Oakville . W E. Q. TH E LIN E LIN Upper Middle Rd E & 8th Line 905.337.9393 05-469-8 www.newbalanceoakville.ca heangelbou The largest selection of New Balance apparel, accessories and footwear in multiple widths.