Meet the Team
Meet the Team
Our African Impact management team works year-round to oversee our community programs, maintain strong local partnerships, and ensure every placement is well-supported, responsibly managed and able to make a meaningful impact.
Stacey Isham
Managing Director
Stacey brings more than a decade of experience in educational travel, conservation and community development. Since joining the organization in 2014 in an operations role, she has progressed through the business, gaining extensive experience across Southern Africa before stepping into the role of Managing Director. Passionate about ethical, impactful programs, Stacey works to make sure every participant leaves with a deeper understanding of the world around them, and every program contributes positively to the people, wildlife and places that make Africa so extraordinary.
Amy Atkinson
Group Sales and Operations Manager
Amy joined African Impact in 2022 as part of the sales team, and moved across a year later to help manage the organization’s Turing Scheme programs. Since 2024 she has led group sales and operations, working with schools, universities and organizations to create meaningful educational experiences on the ground. Passionate about conservation and community upliftment, Amy considers Africa her favorite place on earth, with a mystery and natural balance that are unmatched. Her next favorite place is always the one she hasn’t explored yet
Sara Santana
Destination Specialist
Sara is from Spain and originally trained as a primary school teacher. After teaching in Thailand, she became passionate about NGOs and went on to earn a Master’s in Education, International Development and Social Justice. She joined African Impact as an intern in 2022 and returned in 2024 as a Destination Specialist. Sara loves being in a position to encourage others to see Africa while making a difference. She now lives on a beautiful farm in Zambia, surrounded by her favorite animals.
Marize Bester
Destination Specialist
As a Destination Specialist, Marize helps volunteers and travelers prepare for their time on our programs in Africa. She draws on her own experience; originally from the US, Marize spent time living and studying abroad during her two B.A. degrees in Sociology and in Media & Communication Studies in New Jersey. and has lived and studied overseas herself. That experience gives her a good understanding of the questions and expectations that come with traveling to a new continent, and she enjoys supporting people in the lead-up to their adventure.
Stacey Isham
Managing Director
Stacey brings more than a decade of experience in educational travel, conservation and community development. Since joining the organization in 2014 in an operations role, she has progressed through the business, gaining extensive experience across Southern Africa before stepping into the role of Managing Director. Passionate about ethical, impactful programs, Stacey works to make sure every participant leaves with a deeper understanding of the world around them, and every program contributes positively to the people, wildlife and places that make Africa so extraordinary.
Sara Santana
Destination Specialist
Sara is from Spain and originally trained as a primary school teacher. After teaching in Thailand, she became passionate about NGOs and went on to earn a Master’s in Education, International Development and Social Justice. She joined African Impact as an intern in 2022 and returned in 2024 as a Destination Specialist. Sara loves being in a position to encourage others to see Africa while making a difference. She now lives on a beautiful farm in Zambia, surrounded by her favorite animals.
Marize Bester
Destination Specialist
As a Destination Specialist, Marize helps volunteers and travelers prepare for their time on our programs in Africa. She draws on her own experience; originally from the US, Marize spent time living and studying abroad during her two B.A. degrees in Sociology and in Media & Communication Studies in New Jersey. and has lived and studied overseas herself. That experience gives her a good understanding of the questions and expectations that come with traveling to a new continent, and she enjoys supporting people in the lead-up to their adventure.
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