Mountain Lioness Project

The literal translation for the Swahili word “Ngumu” is “tough”. This is a common word we use to describe the courageous, trailblazing female porters that defy social stigmas to work alongside their male counterparts and climb to the top of Africa’s highest mountain, Mt. Kilimanjaro.

For years, female porterage has formed a vital component on our Kilimanjaro treks. One year on since we shone a spotlight on the life of Ngumu women, the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation are proud to have partnered with Robertson Outdoor Bursary to sponsor 30 women to train and qualify as guides to the ‘roof of Africa’.

The scholarship itself was named after Lucia Kivoi, nicknamed “Lioness”, because of her pioneering spirit as a Senior Guide and woman who helped to spearhead the acceptance of female porters on Kilimanjaro. The project helps these ambitious women take five crucial modules taught over a three-week period, to help them gain their Guide License – covering Mountain Ecology, First Aid Emergency Care and Wilderness Rescue. This training provides women with the essential guiding skills to become fully certified. Becoming a porter may be all in a day’s work to some, but it’s a life-changing occupation for each and every woman on the mountain. It offers them a stable income so they can help support their families and pay for their children’s education in the communities surrounding Kilimanjaro.

In November 2020, we were pleased to announce that the first 10 Lionesses graduated from our Mountain Lioness Project and obtained their guide licenses. You can read their story here.

They were followed by a further 8 in November 2021 and 12 more graduates across 2022 and 2023. The final 2 women of the 30 completed their training in August 2024, which is a cause for huge celebration.

And we’re not stopping there! We are excited to be supporting the Project beyond 2024 and into 2025, in providing further training and guiding opportunities for these trailblazing women through the ‘Becoming Even Better’ programme. This further training covers 4 key elements: Advanced guiding skills, First aid, Team management and Customer service. Graduates are provided with further development in guiding knowledge and skills, so they can keep their clients safe on the mountain and offer them a first-class guiding experience.

Our Exodus Product team have worked to make our Kilimanjaro departures aligned with the project, which means Exodus now make a £25 donation for every passenger on our Kilimanjaro trips – going directly toward the continued training of our female guides.

To join in and support these incredible women on their journey to becoming Mountain Guides, you can donate here.

The Mountain Lioness Scholarship

Just 10 years ago there were no female porters or guides on the mountain, but now numbers are slowly climbing thanks to the courageous, female porters that defy social stigmas to work alongside their male counterparts on Kilimanjaro.

Watch Ngumu, our documentary following the female porters of Kilimanjaro to find out more about what this scholarship means to them, and their communities.