The Cause
Despite it's abundance
of natural wonders, Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world. The
average life expectancy is 51 years, and in 2001 the average rural household
survived on just 32 US cents, or 16 British pence, per day. Of that 32 cents, 21
cents per day was spent on food. On the right you can see a picture that we took
of a fairly typical Tanzanian village: you can click on the picture for a better
view.
In this environment, Kilimanjaro
porters can be considered relatively lucky: they at least have jobs. However,
the poverty of Tanzania means that there are many more would-be porters than
there are jobs, and climbing companies can get away with treating their porters
very badly. Inadequate clothing; no hiking boots; no sleeping bags; minimal pay
and a daily load in excess of 25 kg. These factors may not seem all that bad but
in temperatures of -20°C (-4°F) - which are reached towards the summit of
Kilimanjaro - a sleeping bag can be the difference between life and death. And
the evidence of the maltreatment of Kilimanjaro porters is not hard to find.
Check out these articles:
October 2006
October
2003
Would you still turn up for work if you thought there was a
risk that you might die because your employer wanted to save a few dollars? No?
Well not everybody gets that choice. And that's what the Kilimanjaro Porters
Assistance Project is trying to change. It's not asking for much, simply the
right for porters on Kilimanjaro to be able to go to work confident in the fact
that they will return home and be reasonably rewarded for the work they do.
Among the aims of the Kilimanjaro Porters assistance Project are:
1) Fair pay for porters,
specifically 6,000 Tsh ($5.00) per day on the Marangu Route, 8,000 Tsh ($6.50)
per day on other routes.
2) Reasonable loads, not exceeding
25 kg per porter.
3) Access to food and water while on
the mountain.
4) Proper clothing and equipment.
5) Proper care for sick or injured
porters.
These things may not seem like much,
but they could make a huge difference to the lives of the people without whom
you would have no chance of reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro. For you, a visit
to Kilimanjaro will be the experience of a lifetime, for the porters it will be
another difficult and dangerous day of intensive labour. They won't complain,
but that doesn't mean they don't deserve fair treatment.
For more information on the
Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project and the work they are doing, click on
this link. And remember, any money that I make from the sale of
"Kilimanjaro: Hakuna Matata" will be donated to this most worthwhile of causes.
By clicking this banner, you will be
taken to the website of the publishers, Lulu, from which you will be able to buy
your copy of "Kilimanjaro: Hakuna Matata"
