Delivering hope to Africa can be challenging, even for medical professionals. There is a real need for basic medical supplies; this is a persistent challenge in many parts of Africa. However, one doctor with Safari Club International has his developed a campaign to do just this.
Remote rural and underprivileged villages often need many essential medical supplies that we take for granted. The scarcity of these items derives from many reasons, whether it be limited funding, how the supply chain works or even logistical barriers that make it difficult to get essential supplies to these remote or hard-to-reach places. While there are some private medical facilities that are better equipped, that is not the norm for many. Many are reduced to accessing medical care through local clinics with small budgets, which results in poor overall care for even the most preventable conditions.
Witnessing these medical needs firsthand, Dr. Ira Stanley-Frye decided to do something, in this case to deliver critical medical supplies. This Safari Club International (SCI) member is also a physician. One of Dr. Stanley-Frye’s nurses that works in OBGYN noticed quite a bit of waste being produced during routine procedures including health equipment and essential supplies. These items were either not being used or left over and by regulation, had to be tossed out. As this OBGYN nurse brought this to Dr. Stanley-Frye’s attention, he thought of many places, such as South Africa, that could use perfectly valid supplies for care.
Preparation certainly met opportunity here as Dr. Stanley-Frye began to collect the significant surplus of supplies and then connected with Safari Club International Foundation’s (SCIF) Bell Family Blue Bag Program. Also, in September 2024, SCIF’s Matthew Taylor, PHASA, Guagga Outfitters, and Exaro, who has access to the clinics, met to develop a strategic plan for distribution. Delivering humanitarian aid worldwide via hunters with supply loaded Blue Bags, the SCIF Bell Family Blue Bag Program has been assisting with essential needs since 2015.
As this plan was formed, Dr. Stanley-Frye began his mission, ultimately amassing over $500,000 in essential medical supplies such as bandages, wheelchairs, operating room items and stethoscopes. As these items make their way to the underprivileged of southern Africa, it will invigorate and revolutionize healthcare for so many. This plan is already being executed with the first 2 SCIF Bell Family Blue Bags full of first aid supplies being delivered to the SCIF-Africa office in late September 2025.
There have been some liquid items such as hand sanitizers and disinfectants that cannot be shipped, so these have been donated to homeless shelters locally in the United States.
The effort and commitment of Dr. Stanley-Frye going the extra mile for those less fortunate reflects the program’s “Pay It Forward” ethos, ensuring no resource goes to waste. Dr. Stanley-Frye is actively seeking resources to make this possible, calling on SCI members and partners for support his efforts.
To coordinating helping Dr. Frye delivered much needed aid to those in rural Africa, contact Armando Gutierrez at 210-767-9732 or email [email protected] and you too can be part of the team of hunters delivering hope where it’s needed in Africa and elsewhere.
