Today we’d like to introduce you to Alan Jackson.
Hi Alan, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Throughout my life, I have encountered numerous experiences that have profoundly shaped my personal and professional journey. I recently authored a book chronicling many of these experiences, titled Say Yes to the Lord, If You Dare: One Man’s Reluctant Journey to Africa.
I view life as a series of finish lines. While others may refer to them as goals, framing them as finish lines provides me with a clearer and more vivid sense of purpose and achievement.
Among the finish lines I have crossed are the following:
Becoming a devoted husband
Raising five children as a father
Being a grandfather to six grandchildren
Building and leading successful businesses as an entrepreneur
Serving my community and causes I believe in as a philanthropist
Operating as an international businessman
Competing as a triathlete
Publishing work as an author
Guiding others spiritually and personally as a faith-based life coach
Each of these milestones represents a significant chapter in my ongoing journey.
For the majority of my career, I have been self-employed, working across diverse industries. I spent many years in construction and real estate, but for the past decade, I have devoted myself fully to the nonprofit and charitable sector.
Since joining and leading Hearts and Hands for Humanity, I have made more than 40 trips to East Africa and overseen the successful completion of over 280 life-saving clean water projects.
My entry into the charitable sector began in 2017—an area in which I had no prior experience. In the early years, it became clear that I could not effectively manage my existing for-profit businesses while building the nonprofit organization. Making the decision to close profitable companies that provided my primary income, in order to focus on an endeavor with no financial return, was both daunting and faith-driven.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Challenges have been a constant throughout my path, and I have come to view them as confirmation that I am pursuing the right direction. My greatest ongoing obstacle has been my health. In November 2013, I began experiencing symptoms that were later diagnosed as Lyme disease. Living with this chronic, debilitating condition adds significant difficulty to every initiative and responsibility I undertake.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Hearts and Hands for Humanity (non-profit) Hearts and Hands for Humanity Eastern Africa (For profit)?
Hearts and Hands for Humanity is a registered nonprofit organization based in Utah, dedicated to humanitarian work in East Africa. Our primary mission is to deliver safe, life-saving water to remote schools and villages that currently lack access to clean drinking water.
Contaminated water remains the leading cause of death for children under five in sub-Saharan Africa, claiming an estimated one young life every minute.
In addition to our water initiatives, we own and operate an orphanage in Tanzania, where we provide comprehensive care—including housing, education, nutrition, medical services, and emotional support—for vulnerable children.
What truly distinguishes our organization is our unwavering commitment to long-term impact: our dedicated team conducts regular inspections of all established wells to ensure they continue delivering clean, safe drinking water for years to come.
Hearts and Hands for Humanity Eastern Africa is a socially responsible for-profit enterprise that offers transformative humanitarian safari experiences in Tanzania and Kenya. These carefully curated journeys combine meaningful volunteer work at local schools, orphanages, and remote villages with authentic cultural immersion and exhilarating safari game drives in some of the world’s most spectacular national parks.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
If I have encountered any form of luck in business, it has predominantly been adverse. When the financial crisis struck in 2008, and the housing market collapsed, I held a portfolio of 55 rental properties—an experience I would unequivocally characterize as misfortune. Although my team and I identified the impending market correction well in advance, navigating the downturn remained exceptionally challenging.
I define true good fortune not as random chance, but as the convergence of thorough preparation, timely opportunity, and the courage to act decisively in the face of uncertainty.
Pricing:
- The 10-day safari itinerary in Tanzania is priced at USD 2,950 per person. This rate excludes international airfare, visa fees, gratuities, and personal purchases such as souvenirs.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.heartsandhandsforhumanity.org/ and https://www.africanhumanitariansafari.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heartsandhandsforhumanity/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heartsandhandsforhumanity
