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IPPG Newsletters: March 2002
Letters to the editor |
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| Cate Whitehead |
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Wanting to help
Dear IPPG,
I have recently returned from 2months trekking in remote regions of Nepal. Being remote we were very dependent on our team of 10-12 young porters which was a very humbling experience. They worked so hard and tirelessly with smiles on their faces, ever willing to assist.
While our porter team was provided with clothing, shoes and equipment, we did encounter a group at Do Tarap (in Dolpo) that were poorly equipped. On the evening of 20th September, a group arrived, on their way up the Tarap valley (we were on our way out). It was cold, the porters had light clothing and
thin cotton blankets, most were bare foot. They huddled before the European tour leader who handed them boiled lollies (and nothing else), a pitiful sight, some porters left. As a result the tour leader was short of porters and approached our Sirdar for porters, which he would not provide. This was a revelation for me that not all porters are treated well.
Consequently, after our second trek when back in KTM, I found my way to KEEP & IPPG. I have come back with a dozen of Proud, Tough, Vulnerable posters that I would like to distribute to travel & trekking shops here in Adelaide.
Cate Whitehead
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| Blaise Wong |
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Student gets involved in Canada
Dear Ms. (School Teacher)
I am writing this letter to raise the awareness of the plight of the porters in Nepal.
My dad just came from Nepal about 2 weeks ago. He showed me pictures of the porters and they looked like they were carrying big loads (30-40 kilos) up very high elevations. On Sunday, Dec.1, My dad took me to the Banff Mountain Film Festival and watched a film called Carrying the Burden. It was a film about the Nepal porters and their lives. They get little pay and they are not well treated generally.
The film showed many graphic images such as frost bitten black and swollen hands, as well as an amputated foot. That is because they don't have enough clothing to wear during the colder higher elevations. One scene showed a porter that had altitude sickness at the Everest Base camp, but was forced to go on up. Some porters aren't allowed inside tents so they sleep in caves or under trees. Another scene is when there is an avalanche, the trekkers and the guides get into a rescue helicopter, but the porters have to hike down in the snow often in thin cloths and poor shoes.
It was very sad and tragic. The porters don't like it but they have to do it to support their families. The IPPG (International Porter Protection Group) was set up recently to help overcome the plight of the porters. My dad is trying to collect used clothing from Canada for the Porters' Clothing Bank in Nepal. We would appreciate it if the school would publish a plea to the parents of Chartwell School to donate any OLD winter clothing that they no longer need. They can be dropped off at the school and my dad will pack them up and ship them to IPPG in Nepal. An IPPG pamphlet is enclosed for your information. See www.ippg.net.
Thank you so much for your consideration.
Sincerely, Blaise Wong (junior student)
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| Peter Herrick-Stare |
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Porting like a porter
(...) We had a little trek and on that I decided to carry as a porter to see what it was like. It was by far the hardest thing I have done. What was most powerful about the experience was the friends I made with the porters carrying the group gear. My interest in their positions in society and their lives has only grown since then. While in Solu-Khumbu and Kathmandu I spoke to many porters in Nepali and have a good sense as to what their needs are. I also did my best to educate the trekkers and scold the leaders who did not properly take care of their porters. Long story short, I am passionate about Nepal and the wonderful people within it.
Peter Herrick-Stare, USA
Note: Peter has now joined the IPPG as one of the USA representatives
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| Brad Atwal |
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From a leading Australian trekking company
Some of the most experienced trekking companies are working strongly to ensure that the health and safety of porters is equal to that of all their staff. Our company has recently adopted a policy that ensures that all porters working above the snowline are provided with appropriate tents, cooking equipment, food and kerosene for their needs. This development acknowledges that porters, although often
independent contractors, lack the resources to protect themselves when high altitude trekking groups take them into alpine conditions. This initiative also helps protect the fragile alpine environment, as porters no longer need to collect firewood for their cooking and warmth.
Brad Atwal
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