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