How We Care for Our Porters

Mount Kilimanjaro National Park is quite well regulated, compared to some other areas such as the Himalayas, and as such they ensure that Porters carry a maximum weight of 15kg of company trekking gear and between 5kg & 7kg of personal gear. All Porter packs are weighed before permits are issued at the start of trek on Mount Kilimanjaro.
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Other than this, the standard of porter care is essentially left up to the company with many following a basic code of practice on a voluntary basis.
We believe Kilimanjaro climbs would not be possible without porters so we value our porters and have always created fair working conditions.

We are an Approved Partner Company with:

- Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP)
- Partner for Responsible Travel Program. 

Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project

International Mountains Explorer Connection (IMEC)

We are also an approved Partner company with the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP), and the International Mountain Explorers Connection (IMEC)  Partner for Responsible Travel Program.
We voluntarily participate with KPAP’s monitoring activities and allow KPAP to evaluate the treatment of our porters on all of our climbs.  By climbing with us you can be assured that your porters are well taken care of.

KPAP also helps to improve the working conditions of porters by:

• Lending donated clothing at no charge to the mountain crew for use while climbing
• Educating the public on porter working conditions and climbing responsibly
• Providing industry guidelines for proper porter treatment
• Offering educational classes to porters

Please consider supporting KPAP by making a financial contribution to enable them to continue with their Partner for Responsible Travel Program and free services for porters. To make a donation, please visit https://kiliporters.org/donate-now/
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Majestic Kilimanjaro Treks & Safaris Code of Porter Care is as follows:

• Maximum 15kg: Our Porters carry a maximum of 15kg of trekking goods & 5kg personal gear.
• Fair Wages: All trekking staff receive fair wages for their level of work (ie Lead Guide, Assistant Guide, Cook, Porters) and the tips intended for them.
• Healthy meals are provided to all staff with 2-3 hot meals (depending on the day) and adequate water, per day. Some companies feed their porters porridge only once a day. We actually need to include an extra Porter in our team, compared with other companies, because of the food we provide our Porters.
• Appropriate gear: We check that all staff have the appropriate gear before they leave and we supply any missing items. 
• Proper sleeping bags and weather proof tents: All staff have proper sleeping bags and are provided with weather proof tents to sleep in.
• Sick Care including hospital cover:

1. If a Porter should become sick on the climb, they are looked after and if necessary taken to lower ground.
2. We also pay their hospital bill if hospitalisation was required.
3. A replacement Porter is used to carry the sick Porter's original load and
4. The ill Porter is still paid for the days of the trek they can not work.

• Free Transport: All porters are provided free transport to the mountain & return transport home at the end of each trek. 
• Training: We provide annual training. 
• Porters Scholarship Program: Porters are eligible for further education through our Majestic Scholarship Program.

Majestic Kilimanjaro Scholarship Program

As a company we always trying to improve conditions in the local community, and so in 2015 as well as our continued support of the Paradiso Orphanage, we started our Majestic Kilimanjaro Scholarship Program. This fund enables selected Porters to attend three (3) month English language courses, driving school, wilderness first aid training, nine (9) month guiding school, hospitality school or mechanics training.  We also provide a monthly stipend/allowance so these men can continue to look after their families during the training. 

Further education of this nature is well out of the reach of most porters. Apart from the cost of the courses, there is also the challenge of being able to continue to support their families while studying. Our scholarship fund, which has been formed from profits from the Kilimanjaro climbs and safaris we run through Majestic Kilimanjaro, looks after all that so that the recipients can just focus on their studies.

Scholarship Program Launch
On 23rd March 2015 we launched the program with James Kahumba, Christian Lomnyaki, Amani Ernest and Silvano Clemence (who has been working with us as a cook for the last two years), starting their three months English course at the YMCA Vocational Training Centre. This was followed by a one month driving course.  These 4 men attended class every day for 45mins and then were expected to complete homework. English language skills and a drivers license will allow these men to take up opportunities that weren't open to them before. On their successful completion they will be able to choose whether to attend either a nine months guide, hospitality or mechanics training. 

We are very excited and wish them every success!

23/3/2015 First English class. From Left: Teacher Mlay Moshi and Students - James Kahumba, Christian Lamnyaki, Silvano Clemence and Amani Ernest

Working hard and having fun!

Looking pretty happy after their first class!