COVID-19: Help Support Most Affected Kilimanjaro Crew

Hello friends and families around the world.

You probably once hiked Kilimanjaro with our company, Impatiens Tours, or a different one, or you are looking forward to climb Kilimanjaro in the future, or you are just concerned about the situation. With the surge of COVID-19 cases, comes trouble and hardship to the underprivileged people in different parts of the world. Tanzania is of no exception. It has reached a point where we cannot afford to remain silent.

We have started a feed mountain team campaign, to help the hardest hit family of our Kilimanjaro mountain crew.

As we all know, since 16 March 2020, Tanzania confirmed its very first COVID-19 case. Subsequently, everything related tourism took a tumble.

We would like to let you know that Mount Kilimanjaro has been the lifeline for many families. However Covid-19 has greatly devastated the entire mount Kilimanjaro community. The most vulnerable of all being mountain guides, cooks, and porters who greatly depend on mountain tourism to provide provision for their families.

Some of the lives who had been affected are those who serve from the heart. Take our senior porter, Mzee Stephen Materu, who has been climbing Mount Kilimanjaro at a young age. He has grown into being the best and committed porter over the past 30 years. Kilimanjaro is his means to put food on the table and finance his children’s education. Another one of our best guides, Sadam, also depends on the mountain to support his family back at home. Most of them come from different backgrounds, having to work their way up the ladder the hard way.

Since Mid March to-date, the Mount Kilimanjaro has been empty and quiet as there have been very few mountain climbers . Amidst the necessary cancellations and postponement of our 2020 Kilimanjaro climbs, surely our mountain crew and their immediate families have lost their only source of income. Also, since Mount Kilimanjaro is located in an urban area, the next best alternative which is farming is not feasible for them. Something as basic as food sustainability and paying rental have become a major burden.

Our desire is to raise $20,000 to purchase rice, beans, maize flour, cooking oil and soap. All funds will directly go to our mountain crew and their families. Impatiens Tours will distribute food to 130 people for the next seven months.

That comes to just over $21.9 USD, almost equivalent to Tanzania Shillings 50,000 to feed just one of our team member’s family for an entire month! Think of it and imagine the relief on their faces! With your heartfelt donation, you can support a mother, a father, or their children for 30 days. What an incredible help!

Everything - 100% of the money raised will go straight to them to keep hunger away and restore their long lost hope.

Please help them get back on their feet during this most troubling period in Tanzania as they charter through uncertain times.

Our entireTanzania’s Impatiens Tours team would like to express our immense gratitude for your kind generosity.