Today we’d like to introduce you to Stacy James.
Hi Stacy, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Compassionate service has definitely been a calling for me. I have always lived a life of service in one form or another, whether it be teaching children, helping animals, or volunteering with hospice patients and it has always come naturally to me. So after a safari trip to Zambia, Africa, in 2011, which started as purely an adventure with girlfriends, ended up as a new charity, it was surprising but not completely out of my realm.
My girlfriends (and cousin) and I started what we thought would be a small charitable organization to provide partnerships for local organizations in Mfuwe, Zambia. Protection for wildlife, clean water, and higher education were all priorities to improve the quality of living for people and animals in this community.
Now, eleven years later, we took the intention of supporting local organizations and grew with them over the years, providing support where we could to make the biggest differences possible.
We learned in 2012 that hosting safaris was one of the best ways to introduce other friends and family to an area of the world we loved and show them what we were up to! It turns out our giving did not only extend to the projects in Zambia but also to our guests that were able to experience a dream safari of a lifetime! In fact, a wonderful moment for us was when we were voted #3 in Travel & Leisure, 2021, for top safari outfitters in the world.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Charitable work is definitely not an easy road, but it is a fulfilling one. To date, our most challenging times were by far 2020 and 2021, when travel was nearly nonexistent, especially in rural areas of Africa. Not only did we lose our major source of income to support our conservation, education, and clean water projects, but our partners on the ground and the local communities we work with struggled as well. Everyone experiencing challenges at the same time did not make it easy for anyone. But we did it. We’re still here!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
We specialize in Modern Safaris. The dream safari you may have imagined with the beauty of a Dazzle Africa host and behind-the-scenes experiences with our local partners in conservation, Conservation South Luangwa and Zambian Carnivore Programme, education partners throughout the valley, and our clean water partner, The Bushcamp Company. Then, top it off with a lovely group of guests who more than likely will end up as lifelong friends.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Stay on the path.
Sometimes it takes so much focus and determination to keep going, and other times, knowing when to take a break and step away from distractions, go for a walk and breathe in the fresh air. But at all times, I’ve learned that if you stay on the path long enough, you’ll see that the hard times and the easy times cycle around and that the spiral of life eventually moves us all forward as long as we stay on our purposeful path.
Pricing:
- Our average safari cost is 8,500 not including international airfare.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dazzleafrica.org
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/dazzleafrica
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/dazzleafrica
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/dazzleafrica
Image Credits
Photo credits: Cathy Smith, Michael Paredes, Bushcamp Company
