Since 2003, KRTO’s work has had a tremendous impact for porters climbing Mount Kilimanjaro:
Climbing Gear
Porters on 37,478 climbs have borrowed KPAP’s mountain climbing gear free-of-charge.
Fair Treatment
7,000+ porters per year are ensured fair and ethical treatment through the Partner for Responsible Travel companies.
Education and Training
16,000+ mountain crew have participated in KPAP’s free classes in English, HIV/AIDS Awareness and Money Management. During this time of pandemic, more than 4,000 have participated with Budgeting & Money Management, Alternative Income Projects, Village Group Savings, and Organic Farming Workshops.
Porter Rights Instruction
5,225 porters have received instruction on Porter Rights through funding provided by the Tanzanian Foundation for Civil Society.
Environmental Care
1,127 mountain crew have received Leave No Trace (LNT) certification in environmental care of Mount Kilimanjaro. 16 porters have been certified as LNT Instructors.
First Aid Certification
1,387 mountain crew have been certified in First Aid and 84 porters and guides have been trained as First Aid Instructors.
Approximately 7,500 porters working under our approved Partner for Responsible Travel companies benefit from:
A Fair Salary
Over many years, the minimum wage compliance on Mount Kilimanjaro has remained a key challenge. Although the Tanzanian government has declared a minimum wage, the actual salaries paid have varied significantly, with some workers earning as little as TSh 10,000 per day. Following the revised wage agreement in December 2024, our program made it mandatory for partner companies to pay at least TSh 25,000 per day. As of 2024, the average daily salary payment is TSh 25,140, excluding client tips, which are paid separately.
The minimum wage was expected to increase to TSh 35,000 per day starting in January 2026, subject to the issuance of an official notice by the government and stakeholders.
Transparent Gratuities
Companies have different tipping procedures and climbers may give the guide the tip money assuming s/he will distribute the tip fairly. It is a Partner requirement to have transparency in tipping and KPAP reviews the tipping procedure on every climb. 95.2% of the Partner companies’ climbs had transparent tipping procedures.
Sufficient Nutrition
Many porters only get 1 or 2 meals per day on a climb. The Partner companies are committed to providing 3 meals per day with good portion quantity reported on 99% of the climbs.
Quality Accommodations
Porters may have poor sleeping accommodations and be overcrowded. Partner company porters slept in good quality tents and had adequate sleeping space 97.4% of the time.
Pack Weight Regulations
Partner companies weigh the bags prior to going to the gate. This helps ensure both the appropriate number of porters and that they are carrying bags that follow the max 20kg weight regulation.
Meet the Porters
As a locally-based not-for-profit organization, KRTO is closely connected to the Kilimanjaro porter community. To learn more about our work, read our porter impact stories.
