IMEC’s Porter Assistance Projects are improving the distressing working conditions of the porters by:

* Lending donated clothing at no charge to the porters for use while climbing;
* Providing free classes for the benefit of the porters in English, HIV/AIDS Awareness, Money Management, and First Aid Certification;
* Educating the public on the porter working conditions and providing Guidelines for Proper Porter Treatment.

Clothing Lending Program
Many porters are poorly outfitted for the physical rigors of climbing and suffer due to inadequate protection from the extreme weather found on the mountain.  IMEC provides mountain climbing clothing, at no cost, to porters.  Our clothing stock includes waterproof ski jackets, rain jackets and pants, fleece pullovers, hats, gloves, scarves, socks, and boots.  Porters are required to leave an item of value as a deposit which can be retrieved once the washed clothing is returned.  Local outfitters in Nepal and Kilimanjaro also utilize IMEC’s clothing as uniforms for their crew.

IMEC receives gear donations from Sharing Warmth around the Globe (SWAG), a U.S. nonprofit organization which collects used ski resort clothing and donates them to causes around the world; major manufacturers such as North Face, Patagonia, REI, Montrail, and Sierra Designs; and countless individuals.  Donated clothing is transported to Nepal and Kilimanjaro through IMEC’s Courier Program in which U.S. travelers volunteer to carry a duffel bag of clothing as one of their checked bags.

Porter Education Classes
A major objective of IMEC’s Porter Assistance Project is providing educational opportunities to motivate and empower porters.  Conversational English classes allow porters to learn the simple communication skills enabling them to interact with guests on a climb.  First Aid certification provides porters with the opportunity to acquire the vital skills necessary for the care of each other during a climb as well as attend to the needs within their community when not working on the mountain.  IMEC teams up with local HIV/AIDS outreach organizations in an effort to supply porters with the awareness required to avoid the detrimental behaviors related to this deadly disease.  And Money Management classes allow porters to take better control of the financial direction of their lives.  Simple money management skills, such as weekly budgeting and long term planning, help porters safeguard their financial resources.

IMEC’s approach to classes includes facilitating skill development through a “Training of Trainers System” in which selected porters acquire leadership and teaching skills necessary for providing other porters with important education.  Since 2006, IMEC’s Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project has held two “Training of Trainers” programs in Community-Based First Aid in collaboration with the Tanzanian Red Cross Society.  30 porters and guides have been certified as First Aid Instructors who are utilized to teach IMEC’s First Aid Certification Course to other porters and crew members.

Five porters with exceptional English language skills have been trained as beginner English teachers of IMEC’s porter classes as well.  IMEC also intends to use this approach in training teachers to implement its new Porter Rights and Environmental Stewardship classes.  In addition to educating the porter population, these Porter Instructors can also use their teaching skills to instruct other sectors of society and provide valuable education to the community as well as another means of economic support for these porters.

Education of the Public
Education of the tourists takes place through visits to IMEC’s local offices in Nepal and Tanzania, information contained in Travel Guides and found on IMEC’s websites www.mountainexplorers.org and www.kiliporters.org.  In 2005, IMEC introduced its Partner for Responsible Travel Program for Kilimanjaro which advocates for porter rights by evaluating the labor practices of tour operators.  Monitoring activities for Kilimanjaro determine which local climbing companies are adhering to government regulations as well as IMEC’s guidelines for proper porter treatment.  Local outfitters meeting these standards qualify for partnership as well as the overseas tour companies they contract with.

Monitoring of the local company is essential to ensuring that the actual practices on the mountain reflect what is professed by the company.  IMEC’s monitoring methods include:

* Climber Post-Trek Survey reports
* Porter interviews
* Porter Questionnaires
* Observation during climbs
* Participation in Company’s briefing
* Observation of Company’s tipping procedure

Through the Partner Program, IMEC disseminates this information to the general public specifically targeting climbers and overseas tour operators climbing Kilimanjaro.  The Partner for Responsible Travel Program aims to empower clients with the fundamental information necessary to choose a socially responsible climbing company while, at the same time, demonstrate to tour operators how fair labor practices can generate improved business.

Objectives of the Partner for Responsible Travel Program:
* Raise public awareness regarding proper working conditions and treatment of porters
* Increase the consumer’s demand to climb with Partner for Responsible Travel Companies
* Encourage Overseas Tour Companies taking responsibility for ensuring local outfitters’ proper treatment of porters
* Facilitate an improvement in porter working conditions by encouraging more local outfitters to follow IMEC’s guidelines for proper porter treatment