I have recently returned from a trip to Tanzania, and I am writing to you regarding the corruption involved in the Mount Meru and Kilimanjaro treks, in the hope of raising some awareness to future travellers.
Though there are many warnings regarding fly-catchers, scam companies and dangers for travellers themselves, as far as I am aware there is no mention of the corruption amongst the guides and the harsh conditions that the porters must silently endure. Despite the extensive trek costs, which you would anticipate including food and kit for the porters, it is common practice for guides to provide their porters with no more than one small bowl of watered down ugali (porridge) a day. On this they are expected to climb the steep mountain slopes carrying anything between 15-40kg packs (despite company guarantees regarding the 15kg limit per porter.) This, they have to endure behind the false mask of happiness in order to retain their job, continually ensuring the tourist is blissfully unaware. I want to bring this to the attention of tourists who are being fed their third lavish three course meal of the day, as the likelihood is that the porters have not eaten at all.
In addition, there is a degree of corruption regarding the distribution of porters’ tips. Ideally, ensure that tips are handed directly to porters themselves as many guides have been known to pocket the majority of porters’ tips for themselves, along with any donated kit.
A close friend of mine works as a porter for both these treks and informed me of the current situation, which in some cases has had detrimental consequences. I realise its not easy to change the behaviour of these guides but if you at least let them know your aware of whats going on, maby they'll think twice.
otherwise, enjoy the treck its increadible!
thank you for your post. really important issue, here.
just to be more specific about the tip to porters: it should be at least $5 per day per porter (from the whole group). of course, if the group is big, this should be extended to at least $10 per day per porter.
Catriona, thanks for posting that, it really is an important point. Many people are not aware that several porters die every year on Mt Kilimanjaro due to being overworked, underfed and poorly dressed. I think that the only way that this situation is going to change is if people keep an active lookout for the working conditions of the porters when they are on the mountain and report back to the company concerned if you feel that things are not right and mention that you will not reccommend them to other travellers. That way the companies are going to have to improve things for the porters otherwise they will lose customers.
Several of my friends have worked as porters in the past and it's so frustrating seeing them walk around town or go to the disco in nearly new, good quality mountain equipment that has been donated to them by previous clients, but the minute that they set off for the mountain they change into old, inappropriate clothes...the reason being that they are saving the other clothes for best! One friend was left a brand new pair of walking boots by a client, but he's never worn the boots up the mountain, he'll take a pair of jogging shoes for that! And it's not only the porters that do this, guides do it too.
So, my point is, it's the managers of the company that have to be targeted. They'll soon change their ways when they start loosing customers.
I plan to go on a Mount Meru track... What can I do, besides tipping? Are there some companies that can be recommended?
I tried to hang out with the porters every time we were at the camp. But I was alone in my "group". Most trekkers hang out with each other, as guides, cooks and porters tend to do the same. At the beginning they were a little surprised, but when they understood I just wanted to spend some time with them and learn about their culture, they accepted me in. I remember cracking jokes with them all the time.
Catriona - I totally agree with your comments concerning guides and porters. I have had two goes to climb Kili and have used reputable firms on both occasions. As a general guide the trekker should always personally hand the porter's tip to the porter. This man (there are no women porters) has carried you gear, tents, food for 5,6,7,8 days and deserves your respect. Any safari/climbing organisation that is not charging you at least $125 US per day (group of 4-6) must be undercutting someone and as porters are at the end of the pecking order (or gravy train) then they are the ones who suffer. This suggested fee does not include the Mt Kili Park fees which are around $120 per day also.
A note to all people who read this - if you experience a climbing company or a guide that mistreats their porters - poorly equippied (clothing, boots etc) does not feed them proper food (of a similar standard to that which the trekkers receive) then NAME AND SHAME THEM. Also report them to TATO (I think the web address is TATO.co.tz - can someone please correct this if its incorrect).
Best wishes and good climbing. Orion_Mike
Hey Orion_Mike! Guess what? I saw a Woman Porter on my Kili trip a couple weeks ago!
Catriona, you have to choose the trekking company carefully. I went with a budget guy, Paul Shayo, and he treated his porters superbly. Even so, our group gave the porters treats every day (candies, nuts, granola bars, etc); we got to know them by name (some don't speak much English); we handed out generous tips to each porter personally; and we donated most of our clothes, boots, shoes, backpacks, and camelbaks at the end of the trek. Our clothes were dirty, smelly, and wet (due to rain on the last day), but when they received the clothes, to our amazement, they put it on immediately! Wow, that's gratitude! We got to know most of our porters well, and we took them of them out for dinner at a restaurant that locals go to (it came out to $76US for the 17 of us that went, which included at least three rounds of beer!!)
Also, just to give my trekking guide, Paul Shayo, more air time, he has very high success rates for summitting Kilimanjaro. He was scoring 100% until my group (one of my friends in my group of six sadly did not make it to the top).
http://www.trekkingtour-kilimanjaro.cjb.net/<BR>"Trekking Tour Kilimanjaro Company"
Some guides have their own crew of porters, who they work with all the time. In the case of my guide, Simon Mtui, they were all related to him in some way. So they were all treated well and worked well together as a team, enjoying each others company. It is difficult to know this in advance, but it seems like a good way to go.
Hi all,
We climbed Kili a few weeks ago and our guide had a novel way of dealing with tips. After the tips pot was collected from the group (9 of us) the tips were divided up by the guide and then given back to our group's spokesperson. On the last day, we announced to the group of porters / guides / cooks etc exactly what each person was getting as a tip. This way everything was above board.
Most of our group also gave their individual porter a little extra as well and plenty of kit was handed out.
On average I think our porters made around $30 each and they all seemed pleased.
This is a very serious issue and one that I grappled with while on my Kili trek a couple months ago. More food for thought: why are the porters able to carry such loads and make it up and down the mountain so quick? rumour is: cocaine.
On that note, check out this website, it is for the Kili Porters Assistance Project. It outlines proper porter treatment and lists a number of companies who have supported their ideals thus making travel with these companies a bit more reputable. There is also a survey you can fill out where you can report porter abuse and neglect and list possible solutions.
That being said, I went with one of the companies listed as a supporter of this project and although the situation wasn't awful, there is still a lot that needs to be done about it.
http://www.kiliporters.org/
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