Porter Protection
Action Challenge is committed to ensuring that the impact we have on the local community around Kilimanjaro is a positive one. We are members of the International Mountain Explorer’s Connection (IMEC), an organisation that has been set up to promote sustainable tourism in Tanzania and Nepal, with an emphasis on protection for Porters' welfare through their Porter Assistance Project.
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As members of IMEC, we ensure that we only work with teams on Kilimanjaro who have been vetted and recommended by IMEC as companies who follow set guidelines on Porter welfare.
Recommended guidelines for proper porter treatment on Kilimanjaro:
Wages
Kilimanjaro National Park and Tanzania tour Operator Associations have agreed that porters should be paid, at the very minimum 8000TNZ/ $5.36 (exchange rate as of October 2010), per day all on climbing routes.
Maximum weight
Porters carry a maximum weight of 20 kg for the company and 5 kg of their own gear.
Tips
Porters retain the full tip that is intended for them, through a transparent tipping procedure whereby a participant gives a tip directly to the porter.
Shelter and sleeping equipment
Each porter is required to have a sleeping bag and sufficient space to rest in sleeping quarters.
Food and water
Porters should be given access to sufficient water and at least two meals a day while climbing Kilimanjaro.
Porters should be given access to sufficient water and at least two meals a day while climbing Kilimanjaro.
Team size
The number of crew on a climb should remain the same for the entire duration of a climb. This means that porters are then not be overloaded by sending other crew down early.
Illness
A sick or injured porter should receive the same treatment you would provide for a climber.
A sick or injured porter should receive the same treatment you would provide for a climber.
KILIMANJARO GUIDE SPONSORSHIP SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION (KGSF)
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Action Challenge is also a partner of KGSF, which was set up in 2007 by Jim Grundy, and aims to provide guides with educational scholarships to enable them better career prospects. As partners we are very involved in the work of KGSF and our contributions to funding in 2009 allowed Guide Martin Stanlaus Mpya to attend Moshi University College of Co-Operative and Business Studies, where through a two year course he will gain a Diploma in Co-Operateive Management and Accounting. Martin had been climbing Kilimanjaro for 7 years with over 100 ascents of the mountain. He began working for a tour company in 2003 and over the years, through training, increased his responsibility becoming a licensed Guide in 2006. His ambition is to become an accountant or finance manager for a tour company and eventually own his own tour company.
To find out more about KGSF and their work, please visit their website here >
