Dan Eldon was born in London in 1970 and raised in Nairobi, Kenya. After studying in America and leading safaris in Africa, he traveled as a photojournalist for Reuters. His photographs of Somalia's brutal famine helped trigger an outpouring of international aid. Eldon was stoned to death in 1993 by a Somali mob reacting against a UN bombing. Kathy Eldon is Dan's mother. She has worked as an art teacher, television presenter, magazine editor, journalist, media consultant, and television and film producer in Kenya, England, and the United States. She is also the author of 18 books. Kathy and her daughter Amy are the cofounders of the Creative Visions Foundation, a global organization inspired by Dan's life and dedicated to supporting creative activists.

She lives in Malibu, California. Kweku Mandela is the founder of the Africa Rising Foundation and the production company Out Of Africa Entertainment.