New Book Offers Glimpse of Nepalese Porters’ Lifestyles

Vineland, NJ, April 18, 2008 - Yileen Press of New Jersey has completed publication of their newest book, “On a Donkey’s Back”. This book gives voice to the voiceless by capturing the daily lives of Nepal’s mountain porters through their own poetry and artwork. With more than fifty poems and various pieces of scanned artwork, the reader receives a glimpse into this relatively unknown lifestyle.

It is the porter’s difficult and often thankless job to transport the materials needed by mountain climbers up the sides of mountains. Their lives are filled with hopelessness and hardship, but despite their bleak future, these strong spirited individuals find solace and joy in the Nepalese tradition of poetry. This diametric existence creates a poetry which is both beautiful and bleak.

This is a book that should be in every climber’s or trekker’s library, and has an introduction by award winning author, Brandon Wilson. Mr. Wilson’s work includes Yak Butter Blues, Dead Men Don’t Tip, and Along the Templar Trail: Seven Million Steps for Peace.

HOW TO ORDER:
On a Donkey’s Back
ISBN # 9-0-615-19163-8
[5.5 x 8.5, 94 pp] $15.00 + $3.50 s/h
Please make payment of $18.50 to Yileen Press.
Yileen Press
PO Box 2828
Vineland, NJ 08362

The website, www.yileenpress.com , is currently under construction. If you have any further questions, please contact this blogger jenn@mountainfund.org or Yileen Press at tsw@yileenpress.com.

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to The Mountain Fund for support of their Porters’ Programs. Thank you for supporting the Porters of Nepal!

Porters' Clothing Programs soon to merge in Nepal

April 2008
Kathmandu, Nepal

The Mountain Porter Support Program, operated jointly by International Mountain Explorers Connection (IMEC) and The Mountain Fund, moved its locations this past month for their office and porter clothing bank. The office is now in The Mountain Fund Volunteer Visitor Center. The Center is located in the New Scout Building in Lainchaur across from The Royal Palace. The clothing bank has been relocated to The Mountain Fund Program director Scott MacLennan’s home located in Sukedhara.

The Volunteer Visitor Center is open and free to all Mountain Fund, IMEC and South American Explorers Club members, and provides travel assistance, volunteer referral services, and free internet for members and working volunteers.

The Mountain Fund also learned that “Porters Progress” was planning to close the clothing bank which it runs in Lukla for the Everest region porters. After conversations with International Porter Protection Group, Porters Progress Sagamartha and Porters Progress Nepal, we are all very close to an agreement under which all porter clothing bank management in Nepal
will be consolidated. At the present time there are three primary organizations providing free clothing assistance for porters. Porters Progress Kathmandu, Porters Progress Sagamartha and the Mountain Porter Support Group operated by IMEC. Under the proposed merger, these three groups will operate as one with financial support from The Mountain Fund, Porters Progress USA, IMEC and International Porter Protection Group.

Porter clothing programs were first introduced to Nepal in the 1990’s by IMEC. Over the past decade the number of porter programs and clothing banks has grown, as has the locations where porter clothing can be obtained. While this has created some positive benefits for porters, it has also lead to duplication of efforts by the various porter support groups. Uniting all of these efforts under one management system will reduce operating costs and improve efficiencies.

The Mountain Fund and IMEC are also opening a branch office in Syabru Bensi this month. Located at the start of the Langtang Trek and Tamang Trail, this location will afford porters from the nearby Tamang villages an excellent opportunity to borrow appropriate clothing for working in this region. Space and management of the clothing bank have been generously donated by Hotel Lasha in Syabru Bensi. Clothing for porters will be available at the hotel starting late this month. Many thanks to Hotel Lasha for their kindness and support in making this possible.

Welcome to the Mountain Porter Blog

I have created this blog for posting and discussing articles and comments on men and women, who work as porters, particularly in the trekking trade in Nepal, Tanzania and Peru. These people need your help. They work very hard for little money. All day they carry loads up and down mountains, so tourists can see Everest, Machu Pichuu, Kilimanjaro, etc.

How can you help? Support IMEC, Porters Progress, IPPG and, of course, The Mountain Fund. These are the groups working hard to change the unfair and oppressive conditions under which porters labor around the world. Thanks, Scott - The Mountain Fund

Wanted news and views on porters worldwide

Im already bored with the sound of my own keyboard and invite you to post comments or news yourself. If you want me to do it for you email contact@ippg.net
Jim

Indian Inspiration

Raja, a young Indian mountain guide became IPPG's first representative last year and has now organized the opening of a simple shelter and first aid post for porters in the Gangotri region at the source of the Ganges river.
Porters carry for pilgrims, trekkers and expeditions and have usually been left to fend for themselves. In September Raja and his friends will set up a tented post at Bhujibas.
For more on this simple yet effective action go to:

http://ippg.net/BhujbasPorterShelterProject.html

Nepalese porter organization splits

Some years ago Ben Ayers, a young American from the USA, started a radical experiment in porter empowerment by setting up Porters Progress Nepal (PPN) based in Katmandu. This became a leading light in educating porters, village initiatives and putting clothing on their backs when they ventured up the hill with loads. With porters on the board of directors this became a highly regarded outfit and so it remains to this day.
Only....
Ben has gone his separate way with some of his staff and started Porters Progress Sagarmatha (PPS) based on the clothing bank in Lukla.
The reasons for the split are unclear and probably best left so. But we now have two NGOs with similar aims and working with the same group of people. The only difference is that PPN is totally porter led and while this is quite admirable their lack of expertise and backing is showing up.
Funding and advice is being arranged for PPN from overseas in exchange for good management and transparency.
Lets see how the porters cope in their first steps off the mountain and into the jungles of NGO land.
Good luck to both orgs!
Dr Jim

Looking back on ten years of porter activism

Its my pleasure to be asked to re-invigorate this blog on news and stories from mountain porters around the world on behalf of the mountain Fund. Lets be hearing your news and views please.
My interest in these matters started in 1997 when a young Nepali porter died on the trail has he was being brought down to our rescue post in Manang. This sad and avoidable event goaded us to form the International Porter Protection Group. What alarmed me then, as a doctor and Himalayan expeditioner over many years, was just how long it had taken me to awaken to the exploitation and vulnerability of porters employed to service tourist needs in the mountains (and by 'tourist' I include expedition members!).
Ten years later there is a much better understanding of these issues confronting the tough, proud yet oh so vulnerable men and women who earn much needed cash by carrying loads for us. Several NGOs (Community Action Nepal, International Explorers Club, Porters Progress, Tourism Concern and many more) are involved in activities ranging from educating porters, tourists and travel companies through to clothing banks and porter shelters. Many trek and travel companies have adopted best practice for the treatment of their porters and many local employers and their staff (where most of the wilful exploitation and neglect takes place) have raised their game.
Lets just pause to remember that there were always good people like Mike Cheney of Mountain Travel and later Sherpa co-op, who made sure their porters were looked after right from the beginnings of mass mountain tourism in the fifties. The difference now is that there is an unstoppable and widespread change taking place in the way mountain porters are treated worldwide.
That these changes have not filtered through to remote areas such as Irian Jiya and Papua New Guinea is just a matter of time.
Everyone who travels and treks or adventures to kyak or climb in the mountains and uses local porters needs to be aware of their needs and to complain long and loud, on the spot, at the time it is happening. Then we all become part of the movement and not a part of the problem.
Dr Jim Duff (coordinator IPPG)

Nepal Trek Report

by Sudhir Lama.

Sudhir, an employee of Mountain Fund member organization International Mountain Explorers Connection, went on a porters' rights information gathering trek and recorded his observations along the way.

I did my Trekking Lukla to Thame via Namche from March 19th to 31st 2006. Since this is the most popular and safe trekking route in Nepal, I found many trekking groups and individual trekkers on the way.

There are 3 types of porters:

1. High altitude (Expedition) Porters: These porters carry the loads of the summiters. Generally not other than Sherpa ethnic group is involved in this profession. These porters carry the loads from the base camp. Almost all the expedition company has enough mountaineering gear for these porters. The more high altitude they climb, the more they make money. These porters carry 10- 20 Kg of load only.

2. Trekking Porters: These porters who carry the loads for trekkers. The peoples between 15 - 50 years old from different ethnic group like Sherpa, Tamang, Rai, Limbu, and Brahmin/Chhetris are in this profession. Generally, they carry loads for 5 - 21 days with one trekking group. There is no rule and regulation for certain weight and fixed rate, which makes very confusing to both porters and trekkers. The load varies from 30 - 60 kg and wages varies from 250- 500 rupees per day without food. They walk 4-6 hours per day according to their trekkers. Only a few porters are outfitted well.

3. General Porters "Dhakre": The porters who carry the loads/goods for the hotels, stores and local market are the "General porters" and the Nepali term for them is "Dhakre". Basically, Rai, Tamang, Giri, B.K., and some Brahmin/Chhetries are involved in this profession. Surprisingly, Sherpas are almost none in these types of porters. The age group varies from 12 - 55 years. They get 8 - 12 rupees per kilo without food. Since the money is defined as how much they carry, they try to carry heavy load as much as they can which is up to 110 kg. The conditions of these porters are very poor.

About the "Porter Progress". I met Mr. Surendra Rai, Asst. Branch Manager of Porter Progress, in Lukla. According to him, Porter Progress conducts different trainings like English language, HIV/AIDS awareness Training, Environment Awareness Training etc for the porters. It also does registration of porters and provide them Identity Card and Porters' Log Book. It outfits the porters taking certain amount for deposit. It could be either individual porter or through the agency. Porter Progress has many publications like posters, stickers, and brochures about the porters' concerns/rights and signboard of awareness like "STOP CHILD WORKERS" etc which can be seen in many times in the trekking area.

Conclusions

According to my trekking and the interviews of the porters, I found out that:

1. 
   Most of the porters have no idea about their own rights.
2. 
   Only a few porter know about Porter Progress which is working for them.
3. 
   Most of the porters are not outfitted well. Their clothes, shoes are in very poor condition.
4. 
   Every single porter is very interested to take trainings like Language, and First Aid Training etc.

The General Porters "Dhakre" is in the poorest condition, so not only about the trekking porters but also we need to think about them as well.

Less Than $1.00 a Day and Some Rice

What does it cost to climb a trekking peak in the Langtang area of Nepal if you are from the West? Airfare is roughly $1,500.00, the normal cost of the trek to the start of your climb is around $500.00, the fee for your climbing permit is perhaps $200 and then there is the $2,000.00 or some odd dollars spent on equipment like Gore-tex clothing, a down jacket, plastic boots, crampons and so forth. Let's just use some rounding here and agree that it is nearly $5,000.00 US.

Consider that you have traveled nearly 10,000 miles, spent 24 hours on planes, 4 days hiking and nearly $5,000.00 to bag your peak. Does it make any sense to under pay your porters, without whom you simply would not be making this climb, by less than a dollar and a cup of rice a day? This exact scenario happens all the time and on my last trip to Nepal I witnessed it firsthand.

I was walking on the Langtang trek above Syabru Bensi. I came across a boy, maybe 16 years old. He was obviously very tired and very thirsty. He did not have a water bottle nor food of any kind.

What caught my eye was the enormous load he was carrying in a very odd sort of backpack. This boy had four metal crates stacked one atop the other, all full, and attached to his body by a strap running over his forehead. He was in obvious pain under such a load.

The boy needed to earn money to continue his education in Kathmandu. He had hired himself on as a porter that morning in Sybru Bensi as part of a crew hauling loads up the valley for two men from the UK who were there to climb a trekking peak. The boy did not know how much he was being paid for this brutal work, but did know it didn't include food. Most importantly he knew that if he didn't take the job there were plenty of men and boys who would.

Surendra and I each took a part of the boys load and headed for Bamboo Lodge, the next village up the trail. At Bamboo I found the guide that employed this boy resting in the shade and enjoying his lunch. I dropped my part of the load at his feet, announcing that he owed me a partial days wage as a porter and asking how much he intended to pay me for taking the load the rest of the way up the trail. The startled guide did understand enough English, not to mention body language, to get the gist of the conversation.

Surendra helped with translation and asked a great many questions of the guide in Nepali. This guide, as it turns out, works for a well-known and supposedly reputable trekking agency in Kathmandu. The agency frequently uses, MF member agency, International Mountain Explorers Connection’s (IMEC) clothing bank and claims to subscribe to the IMEC recommendations for fair porter treatment. The IMEC guidelines are; maximum load of 30 kilos, pay of 300 rupees (a shade over $4.00) per day and food. The boy we had met was carrying around 50, perhaps even 60 kilos, for 250 rupees and no food. He was being shorted by 50 rupees a day and a cup of rice, in addition to carrying a back-breaking amount of weight.
I went next to the trekkers who had hired the guide and asked if they knew that their porters were overloaded and underpaid. In an indifferent tone they told me that they'd look into adding one more porter but wouldn't interfere with wage agreements between the guide and the porters.

Later, I would ask Surendra how this could happen. He told me that it isn't unusual for the guide to skim off the porters pay by 50 rupees. The trekking agent thinks he is paying 300 rupees but if the guide can get a boy to carry the load for only 250 rupees he can pocket the rest and increase his own pay. Likewise he can pocket the food money for the porters.
So, who is to blame for this sort of exploitation? The guide? Sure, he knows better and is deliberately taking advantage of the situation to enrich himself. The trekking agent back in Kathmandu? Also guilty, since the agent should find out what the guide does once he leaves the office. How about the trekkers? I deem them most guilty of all. Why? They have the money, hence they are in control of the entire process. Everyone involved is working for them and they have the power to dictate the terms of that employment.

Proud, Tough and Vulnerable - those are the words on an IMEC porter poster we see just one more days hike up this trail. Yes, porters are all three of those. What they are more than anything is vulnerable though. Nepal is a country where most people live on about $1.00 a day. If a man (or boy) won't carry 100 lbs of gear for $4.00 a day, there is a line of poor men who will. As the people with the power of the gold (money) we have the responsibility to protect our employees (the porters) from exploitation.

When trekking and hiring porters take the time to inquire about your porters’ work. Does the pay include food? How much weight will be carried? Do the porters have appropriate clothing for the job? You traveled a long way to take a once in a lifetime trip, please don't beat the locals out of less than a dollar a day and a cup of rice while there.

Surendra, who began life in the trekking business as a porter is having a hard time lifting this load. I tried it myself and was only able to stand up with a huge effort. This load was in the 100 lb range. The small man in the right of the photo will carry that load all day, everyday, uphill for four days on a hard trail. He will do it in sandals as well, and for around $4.00 a day. He should at least be fed as well, but on this trip sadly he'll have to buy his own food.

Thanks to Anna Pettigrew for the photo.