Tanzania Porter Education Project

Overview 

Following a special fund raising Kilimanjaro climb in 2004, Exodus set up this project in conjunction with our long-term operational partners The Africa Walking Company. Generally the traditional rural incomes in this area are complemented with seasonal employment as porters and guides. However, outside of these seasons, during the long (April-June) and short rains (November), employment opportunities are limited. We therefore created three schools to teach English to the porters during these times.  Better language skills, environmental awareness and service levels, not only increase their employment opportunities; they help deliver a better experience for the trekkers, who in turn may encourage others to come in future years.

In 2010 Exodus teamed up with the Kilimanjaro Guide Scholarship Foundation (KGSF) to provide sponsorships for “rainy season” courses for selected guides to further their education on a three month scholarship during the long rains.  This special course has been created in in conjunction with the Bridge Institute of Business Studies in Arusha, Tanzania.  It  is designed for  guides and porters and will enable them to improve their future career prospects.  The scholarship allows the recipients to continue working during the remainder of the year and the course consists of four sections: tour operations and administration, social anthropology and history, tourism geography, and wildlife knowledge. Read more about KGSF online. 

Update: For the latest news, please read our article: Kilimanjaro Porter Project 2015

 

Our achievements to date

So far we have enabled 800 porters to attend our English language school and sponsored 6 guides to complete the special KGSF course.  Our 7th scholarship has been awarded to Charles Joseph Teete (pictured). He has worked for our local partners, Africa Walking Company, for 15 years, starting out as a porter before progressing to assistant guide.  Charles has been a main guide now for 9 years and has climbed Kilimanjaro more than 150 times!  He is married with four children.

 

How You Can Help

Visit
Come on any of Exodus’ Kilimanjaro treks and you will be supporting better wages and conditions for porters and guides on the mountain.
Exodus is a member of the International Mountain Explorers Connection (IMEC) which is a not-for-profit organisation based out of Boulder, Colorado. Through its Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP) in Moshi, IMEC’s focus is improving the working conditions of the porters on Kilimanjaro. Exodus adheres to the guidelines for proper porter treatment and is monitored by KPAP.

Donate
If you would like to support our Porter school or help fund a scholarship please donate online via Friends of Conservation. 
Just £10 can pay for a place in the school and completing the course can provide much needed extra income for their extended families. The current cost of a scholarship is £500. 

Speak to a Supporter
You can contact our Exodus Project Manager Emma Garrick or telephone her on 0208 772 3724.