An Ethical Approach to Kilimanjaro

Lava Expeditions has spent the last year working very closely with the Porters of Kilimanjaro Photographic Project and the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project. Through working with these projects Lava Expeditions has become aware of many issues affecting the individuals working on Kilimanjaro. Some of the main issues affecting the local mountain staff are:

• Porters can be extremely underpaid for the difficult work they do.
• Many porters do not have adequate clothing for working in such an extreme environment.
• Tips paid by climbers are not always distributed to the porters.
• Porters on the mountain often sleep in overcrowded tents and are supplied with small amounts of food.
• Porters are often made to pay for their own transport to and from Kilimanjaro.
• Porters are often made to pay for the rental of their tents by the companies they are working for.

These are but a few of the issues affecting the porters of Kilimanjaro. Things are starting to change and a minimum wage of 8000 Tanzanian Shillings (TSH), equivalent to just over US$5 a day has been set by the Kilimanjaro Park Authorities. Many companies are now making an effort to treat their mountain staff better but the mountain is still a very unfair place for many to work.

Lava Expeditions believes that all companies should take a more ethical approach to the way they operate on Kilimanjaro and because of this we have set guidelines for the way we operate on Kilimanjaro.

• Lava Expeditions porters will be paid US$10 a day making them among the highest paid porters who work on Kilimanjaro. Cooks will be paid US$15 per day and guides will be paid US$20 per day.
• Lava Expeditions will be donating 5% of their annual profits to the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project.
• All Lava Expeditions mountain staff will be adequately clothed for the environments they will be working in.
• All Lava Expeditions mountain staff will be supplied with free transport to and from Kilimanjaro.
• All Lava Expeditions mountain staff will be supplied with 3 free meals a day while on the mountain.
• All Lava Expeditions mountain staff will be supplied with adequate sleeping space in a tent, free of charge.
• Any tips received from clients will be equally divided between all local Lava Expeditions’ mountain staff.
• All Lava Expeditions staff will be entitled to medical care while on an expedition run by Lava Expeditions.

Lava Expeditions takes the well being of its mountain staff very seriously. Lava Expeditions will be monitored by the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project to make sure all the above are being adhered to.

Lava Expeditions wants to be at the forefront for change on Kilimanjaro and we hope that by being an ethical company we will be far ahead of our competitors when it comes to a more ethical approach to operating on Kilimanjaro. Our overall ethos at Lava Expeditions is to support the local populations and environments and to offer our clients safe and affordable adventures at altitude.