Danielle Heard-Mollel
Growing up a biracial woman in the United States, Adumu Safaris co-founder Danielle struggled with her racial identity. At the same time as members of her white family rejected her for being black, she also didn’t quite fit in with her black family. As a sophomore in college, Danielle had the opportunity to study abroad in Kenya. At the time, she was an English Literature major aspiring to be a journalist, but the trip proved transformative. She recognized the cultural overlap between black Kenyans and black Americans in food, music, and a sense of family and community. The shared experiences of oppression and resilience drew her to her research of the black diaspora.
Going back to East Africa to live and work at a Tanzanian feminist activist organization, Danielle’s passion for social justice crystallized. Traveling around the region and going on her first safari helped her gain a cross-cultural awareness. She carries those experiences with her at Adumu Safaris, where she hopes the right kind of tourism can do the same for others.