Sahara Sunday Spain is a childhood author and current owner of Sequestered Ecotourism, a holistic travel company focused on sustainable tourism.

Spain was born in California in 1991, to parents Elisabeth Sunday and Johnny Spain. The couple divorced in 1993[1].

Her mother, Elisabeth Sunday, is a famous photographer, known for her black and white portraits of indigenous people in Africa and Asia. Her work has been exhibited in museums in America and Paris. Among her collectors are Alice Walker, Gloria Steinem[2], Bonnie Raitt, Bill Cosby and Quincy Jones.

Sunday was instrumental in the publishing of Spain’s only book, “If There Would Be No Light: Poems From My Heart”, which was released in 2001 by SanFrancisco Harper Collins. The book is a collection of poems written by Spain in her early childhood[3] .

Early Life and Education

Spain grew up in Dogtown, Oakland, where she lived with her mother in a studio loft apartment. Her mother did not allow her to watch TV, eat junk food, or own a lot of plastic toys[4]. By 14 months old, Spain could speak in complete sentences. [5]

Her first poem, “Mother’s Milk” was written when she was five years old. It is included in her only published book and speaks about the relationship between mother and child[6]. The collection of poems and drawings was recorded by her mother, and then given to friends and family as gifts[7]. Later, her mother approached publishers to have the book released.

SanFrancisco Harper Collins picked up the manuscript and paid the young author a five-figure advance[8] for the book, which had an initial print run of 15,000.

On the subject of poetry, Spain told the Guardian: “I was inspired one day when I woke up and said, ‘every day I get up, get dressed and go to school, I’m just tired of it.’ My mother said it’s a gift. A gift to wake up. And so every day we started the day with a new word like love, beauty, nature, relationships. Those words turned into phrases, then sentences, then poems.”[9]

Feminist writer Gloria Steinheim, whom Spain refers to as her “honorary grandmother”[10] wrote the introduction for the book, while Bonnie Raitt and Bill Cosby added back-cover blurbs[11]. The book would go on to receive praise and criticism in both America and the UK.

As a child, Spain spent a lot of time traveling with her mother to Africa, Europe and Australia, and has lived in more than 20 countries. These trips, which often included travels to remote locations and extended stays with diverse communities living off the land, would prove instrumental in her upbringing.

Her creative-thinking skills, which were honed during her early childhood through a love for puzzles and “building intricately connected projects”, would eventually lead Spain to start and run a school for girls in rural Mali at the age of nine years old.

The non-profit organization in Mali, which Spain managed with her mother and a team, was called Kah Monno. Together, they worked on eradicating FGM and forced child marriages, and uplifting the young women in the community through education. The school was operational for 15 years.

According to Spain, her ability to come up with solutions to complex problems were key to the success of the school. “Cultural misunderstandings need innovative solutions. Decisions about a certain way of life demand an imaginative and engaged community. To overcome the challenges, diplomacy and bureaucracy must be navigated carefully.”

Spain herself attended The Nueva School, which is a private educational institution for gifted individuals, in Hillsborough[12].

She completed her tertiary education at Colgate University, in Hamilton, New York, where she graduated in 2014 with a double degree in history, French, and opera.  

Composer, Singer and Musician

Spain plays the violin and piano, which she started to learn in her early schooling. Her vocal range stretches over three octaves, which she used when performing with the San Francisco Girls’ Chorus at school.[13]

She is also known for her contributions in musical theater. Spain has co-written two musicals with David Rackoff, titled “Wonderland Wars” and “The Rocking Horse Winner”.

In addition, she has written and directed the music for the San Francisco Girls’ Chorus and Mali’s Essakane Music Festival.

One of her songs is called “The Night of The Day”, the proceeds of which she has pledged to Kah-Monno, where she hopes it will be used to fund the schooling of 35 girls in Mali.

Professional Pursuits

Spain has experience working as a paralegal, specializing in contract and criminal law. She has worked with law firms in both America and Europe.

She is currently the CEO of Sequestered Ecotourism. The company focuses on sustainable travel by offering luxury travel services to destinations in developing countries, with the aim to uplift the surrounding communities.

Spain brings to the ecotourism market extensive travel knowledge based on her own experiences, as well as the drive to give back to communities through job creation and economic upliftment in the area.

A Passion For Sustainable Tourism

As the face of Sequestered Ecotourism, Spain runs a number of initiatives that contribute to the wellbeing of the communities in which the company operates.

These programs include:

  • Sustainable development of facilities
  • Using green technology in farming practices
  • Curbing desertification through reseeding oasis
  • Maintaining coral reef health
  • Supporting biodiversity
  • Boosting education through the Sequestered Learning Experience
  • Providing healthcare services to communities situated in and around the company’s hotels
  • Menstrual health access
  • Employing circular economic methodologies in the company’s hotels
  • Increasing access to safe and clean drinking water to communities surrounding the company’s facilities.

Personal Life

Spain has a daughter, named Violet Sunday Spain. The child was born in 2020, and is fathered by British aristocrat Sir Benjamin Slade.

The couple met through a co-parenting agency. They dated briefly and were engaged, but it is reported that Slade is not involved in his only child or Spain’s life anymore.  

Spain, who suffers from endometriosis, was advised by medical specialists to consider having a child soon. Slade, on the other hand, was desperate to father a male heir to his fortune.

Slade owns England’s largest nature reserve, along with a $41 million house that has 17 bedrooms.

From an early age, Spain has been featured in local and international news articles, both online and in print.

Internationally, she appeared on The Early Show with Bryant Gumbel, PBS affiliate KQED’s Spark, in episode 209 of To Tell the Truth, French station TF1, Drôle de petits champions.

In print media, she has been featured in The New York Times Magazine, The Guardian, the San Francisco Chronicle, The Oakland Tribune, and Time for Kids.

Published Work

If There Would Be No Light: Poems From My Heart. By Sahara Sunday Spain. HarperOne. 2001

    References

    1. ↑ "The 9-Year-Old Poet With the Big Advance". archive.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
    2. ↑ "The 9-Year-Old Poet With the Big Advance". archive.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
    3. ↑ "The 9-Year-Old Poet With the Big Advance". archive.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
    4. ↑ "The 9-Year-Old Poet With the Big Advance". archive.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
    5. ↑ Helmore, Edward (2001-02-04). "She's just 9, writes poetry and she's a star in America". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
    6. ↑ Helmore, Edward (2001-02-04). "She's just 9, writes poetry and she's a star in America". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
    7. ↑ "The 9-Year-Old Poet With the Big Advance". archive.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
    8. ↑ "The 9-Year-Old Poet With the Big Advance". archive.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
    9. ↑ Helmore, Edward (2001-02-04). "She's just 9, writes poetry and she's a star in America". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
    10. ↑ Helmore, Edward (2001-02-04). "She's just 9, writes poetry and she's a star in America". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
    11. ↑ Marech, Rona (2001-03-06). "Wunderkind / Gifted 9-year-old is a published poet but still..." SFGATE. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
    12. ↑ "The 9-Year-Old Poet With the Big Advance". archive.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
    13. ↑ "The 9-Year-Old Poet With the Big Advance". archive.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2023-12-04.


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