If you’ve ever travelled to the stunning country of Africa, you might’ve come across a town called Arusha. If you’ve never heard of it, perhaps you’ve heard of the tourist attraction that sits beside it – Mt Kilimanjaro.

Thousands of people flood to Mt Kilimanjaro each year to try their hand at this iconic trek. However, such a large mountain takes skill and knowledge to handle, which is why porters are on hand to guide you through the journey.

Porters and guides get trained in first aid, environmental care, ethics and more. Everything you could need on your journey up the iconic mountain.

The Kilimanjaro Porter Project 

As with everything in life, training costs money – which is where The Kilimanjaro Porter Project comes in. Travel experts Exodus, who specialise in adventure and walking holidays, teamed up with the Kilimanjaro Guide Scholarship Foundation to provide three-month scholarships for career development. During their study, students learn about wildlife, our operations, admin, social anthropology, history, and tourism geography.

Exodus went on to enrol porters on a three-week First Aid training course, giving them the knowledge and confidence to tackle any issue that may arise on a tour. What’s more, the training they receive will help aid their local community. When they’re not at work, they can help with their neighbours’ basic medical needs – giving back to locals as well as tourists.

The Pandemic

Once the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the world came to a standstill. Due to restrictions globally, the travel and tourism industry came to a standstill. Sadly, this impacted many people across the world as they found themselves without work.

However, Exodus Travel teamed up with their partner, Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project to;

– Distribute health and money management information

– Fund some subsidence farming training

– Generate income for over 1,000 porters

– Put food on the table for many porters

All of this helps to save lives and offer hope until life gets back to normal.

Mountain Lioness Scholarship 

Whilst a Porter is a traditionally male-dominated role, The Mountain Lioness Scholarship has come in and changed the way we view this career.

For over ten years, Exodus has worked hard to support female guides and porters on Mt Kilimanjaro. Offering this line of work opens up huge possibilities for them individually and their families too.

The Mountain Lioness Scholarship aims to close the gender gap and offer women equal opportunities to men – something of great value and importance. Since starting this project, these women have been invaluable and, they’re adored by everyone who works with them or has the pleasure of being guided by them.

The Mountain Lioness Scholarship aims to award 30 women over three years with guide training scholarships. This means that as each year goes by, a fresh group of women can become porters and gain financial independence – a truly valuable cause.