My wife Diane and I made our first trip to Africa almost 20 years ago. Africa gets under your skin. The light, the smell, the sounds (or silence), the wildlife, the people, the landscape is a wonderful and intoxicating mix. In fact, we loved it so much that we started a safari company!
But while the African wildlife is magical, it is your bond with the people of Africa that lasts a lifetime. On our numerous trips we have made friends who may appear to have nothing by American standards yet are the richest people in the world. They have taught us the lesson that it does “take a village.” Everyone helps everyone. They also understand that wildlife is a precious resource. Those lessons have inspired us. And we believe that we have a responsibility to give back and support the people and organizations that have given us so much. Giving back is a way for us to say “Asante Sana”– thank you very much – for the wonderful experiences we have had in Africa and for the help we have received in operating our safari company.
We support that giving back principal in several ways. First, we have formed The Infinite Safari Foundation. This 501©(3) entity is dedicated to humanitarian and conservation efforts in Africa. Not only do we raise money from donors, but we donate a portion of the cost of every safari to the foundation in the name of our clients. With this money we support such endeavors as the Cheetah Conservation Fund, other conservation projects, schools and when necessary, doing humanitarian work such as feeding Maasai who have been severely impacted by a multi-year drought.
Conservation and dealing with human/wildlife conflict is very important. Over 10 years ago I had the good fortune of meeting Dr. Laurie Marker, founder of the Cheetah Conservation Fund. Later I visited her at CCF’s headquarters in Namibia and came back knowing that I had to help her and CCF save this beautiful endangered animal. After organizing a “Meetah Cheetah” event at our home (our neighbors were amazed to see a live cheetah in our backyard) I became deeply involved and now sit on the Board of Directors of this worthwhile organization.
Thanks for visiting our site. We would love to have your support for The Infinite Safari Foundation.
Asante Sana,
Alan Feldstein & Diane Haithman