Why I started mother africa trust
A personal message from Amalinda Safari Collection CEO Sharon Stead
I started Mother Africa because of my son, Mitch. When he was born in 1999, he had serious medical issues and was in and out of hospital constantly. I was incredibly fortunate to have the resources to get him to Cape Town, where he received treatment at one of the top medical facilities and treatment that ultimately saved his life.
That experience really opened my eyes. From the year 2000 onwards, Zimbabwe entered a period of extreme hyperinflation. There was no bread on the shelves, no tourists, no infrastructure to support even the most basic needs. I realised how lucky I was, and how many women in the communities around me weren’t. Many had no access to proper medical care, and it wasn’t uncommon for mothers to lose several children simply because they couldn’t reach hospitals or afford treatment. That contrast between what I had and what others lacked hit me deeply.
At the same time, I’ve always believed tourism should benefit the people who live alongside the wildlife that draws travellers here. That’s why we created Mother Africa: to give our guests a way to contribute to local communities in a meaningful, impactful way. Rather than donations going directly to underpaid teachers or overstretched clinics, we wanted to pool those resources to create something bigger and longer-lasting.
Of course, we made a lot of mistakes at the beginning, but I’ve learned that you only figure things out by doing them. It was born out of my absolute deep passion and love for my country, its wildlife and its people. For conservation to succeed, communities have to be part of the solution.
Some of the most powerful stories from Mother Africa come from individuals like Lucky. He came from the Ethandweni Children’s Home and started working as a pot washer at one of our camps. Through Mother Africa’s education program, we supported him through university. Today, he’s come full circle and plays a leading role in the trust as project manager.
That’s what Mother Africa is about, building a future by investing in the people who live here, especially the young ones who just need a chance. I believe that the organisation has grown because we’ve found good people who grow with us. That’s been our path.
-Sharon Stead
ASC CEO, MAT Chairwoman