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Porters Of Kilimanjaro Marco s Song
s you climb Kilimanjaro that is if I got a tip this time
spare a thought for the - I would always pray I would get
humble porter. His life is a tip. The guide would share the
one of extreme hardship of tip the tourists gave at the end
trekking up and down the mountain of the climb; but we the porters
carrying your supplies. No one rarely received a share. Don't be
notices him, no one cares for fooled by the fair trade tourism;
him, he goes unseen and fair trade tourism may have good
unappreciated. intentions but usually they are
far away in comfortable offices
I see many items on the internet and are sadly unaware of what is
about the ‘Kilimanjaro song' - really happening.
many climbers wanting the words
for the song as it brings back We the porters are kept at a
memories for them. Good memories distance from the tourist. We are
of the hard slog to the summit of not encouraged to talk or
Kilimanjaro, the highest point in interact in anyway with the
Africa. There is another side to guests. I was once beaten for
this song; the porters who sing talking to a guest. Imagine that,
this song have their own storey. beaten for talking to a tourist
What follows is the porter's whose bag I was carrying up
song, in this case Marco's song. Kilimanjaro; it was just not
These are his own words... allowed; they [the guides] feared
we would take their tip. After I
Sometimes; to get the job as a was beaten I didn't get another
porter with a group I would have job for a long time; the guide
to pay for the privilege. Porters told all the other guides I was a
are poor and life is hard. This trouble maker. So no one would
payment to get a job I always give me a job, and I was unable
would hope to pay out of my tip - to pay for my school for almost
one year. I climbed the mountain porters. Sometimes we would get
to pay for my education. mchicha [local spinach] with the
ugali but mostly it was just
When I was 16 my family said my ugali.
education was over. I didn't want
to die here climbing Kilimanjaro Most porters are poorly clothed
so I begged my family to allow me and we are inadequately fed so we
to carry on with my schooling. get ill, if we get ill on the
They agreed but said that I must climb we will not get another job
pay for it myself; I did this by again and we won't get paid for
carrying supplies up the mountain this job. So if we fall ill we
for the tourists. In the early must carry on. I remember a long
days we had to carry 40kg's - long time ago my friend, Lumuli,
imagine that 40kg's it made me he died, he was sick before we
very tired and sometimes very started to climb but he needed
sick. the money for is family. It was
at a hill we call breakfast, it
The food we eat is very basic and was here at this place where he
usually not cooked properly. died. The tourists were not told,
Kerosene [paraffin] used for the I don't think anyone even noticed
cooking is for the guests it is he was missing. I returned with
not for us. The maze flour is his body, I didn't get paid for
cooked into a stiff porridge this climb nor did Lumuli's widow
[called ugali] it might be hot receive any payment toward the
but it is not cooked through; funeral.
sometimes the flour is not even
mixed well with the water. Most Many times when I got home after
times a hot slice of ugali is put a climb I might be sick for one
directly into our hands; there week. Sometimes coughing up
are no bowels or plates for the blood. My brother would beg me to
stop climbing Kilimanjaro when I very tired, exhausted even, but
got sick but I knew it was my we are forced to stand in a line
only hope, my only escape. If you singing the ‘Kilimanjaro song'.
are unlucky enough to be born We clap and look happy for the
into Marangu village you climb tourists... well for the guides
Kilimanjaro or you can starve to to get their tips. When we sing
death slowly whilst growing they [the guides] say ‘sing
coffee. louder, sing louder' and they say
‘look happy'. All the guide
Once I remember a porter lost his books are told what tips to pay
shoe. There was ice on the ground and to pay it all to the guide.
and the porter's foot was numb. Why? Why do they say that? Do
He did not notice he had lost his tourists not care for the
shoe until a tourist noticed the porters? I am sure there is a
blood and stopped the trek and very good reason for paying all
put a bandage on the foot and the tips to the guides but I am
gave him a pair of boots! This still waiting for someone to tell
tourist was very angry with the me what that reason is. We never
guide, we were pleased the guide got much from the tips usually in
was in trouble; but of course we most cases we received next to
were punished for upsetting the nothing at all - except of course
tourists - we were all punished. for our wages less the tip we
This was in the days when a must pay to the mountain-guide.
porter carried up to 40 kg. Now
the weight carried is a lot less The porters have no voice, they
but too little clothing and low have no rights. They die for a
wages are still a problem for the few dollars. I ask your tourists
porters. from Europe from America, from
China and Australia to spare a
When the climb is finished we are thought for the porter. When you
book through a fair trade Kilimanjaro is beautiful I am
operator, make certain they told, but for me, when I look at
really are doing what they say that mountain... well all I see
they are doing. And I would ask is poverty, death, hardship; for
if you tip the porter please give me Kilimanjaro holds no beauty at
it to the porter. I am now living all. Of course we pretend, yes
in Aruhsa and life is not so bad indeed we pretend to the tourist
as it was in Marangu. I help my that we appreciate the majesty of
family and don't allow any of my this mountain; but to be truthful
relatives to be a porter. it is very hard for me to see
anything but cruelty and poverty.
About the Author:
Kilimanjaro information, climes, recommended tour operators can be found at Bethel Adventure. For more information contact details at http://www.betheladventure.co.uk Using tourism to change lives.
Source: www.isnare.com
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