Tel. +44 (0)1273 600030 (UK)
For every week that our passengers spend in Africa, we plant a tree in Kenya through the Woodlands 2000 Trust, a local NGO. The Woodlands 2000 Trust is a wonderful project that provides seeds and seedlings with planting materials as well as land-planning, tree survival and woodlot management services. It aims to increase reforestation and bio-diversify in semi-arid regions, and also to create sustainable and profitable tree products micro-industries that contribute to alleviating poverty.
On Kilimanjaro, we insist that porters carry no more than the maximum (20Kg) recommended load, and we also make sure they have sufficient warm gear to climb comfortably. Back off the mountain, we cover their medical expenses and ensure an equitable distribution of the much sought after jobs. Although we attempt to keep the price of our climbs down for the customers, we don't feel it would be fair to do so at the expense of the local workforce. We also lead the battle to stop the use of firewood on the mountain as the lower slopes were rapidly being denuded of trees. Paraffin is now standard and gas is supplied to the mountain huts for cooking.
In 2002 we organised and paid for 14 people to climb Kilimanjaro, in return they raised money for the Kilimanjaro Village Education Project (KVEP) and this money was used to build a computer-training centre at the base of Kilimanjaro. The total raised was in excess of £48,000, which far exceeded the target and the computer-learning centre is now operating. The centre will serve the 7 villages that are grouped together in the area. These villages are far removed from the British concept of a village and together they are home to several thousand people. In 2004 we again sponsored a Kilimanjaro climb, this time to build a nursery school for the KVEP.
We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same holiday can have different views!
