Kilimanjaro porters receiving first aid training, man seated in foreground and watching

Our Kilimanjaro porters receive first aid training

Nov 19, 2024
Reading time: 3 minutes

Normally, it's only the guides in a Kilimanjaro mountain crew who know first aid. But in March 2024, we trained dozens of Follow Alice porters in first aid. This was an exciting time for the men and women who took part to learn a new and important skill.

Mount Kilimanjaro climb
Our Kilimanjaro porters receive first aid training

Who? Where? When? Why?

In March 2024, our Kilimanjaro porters were invited to take part in a free first aid training programme in Moshi (the city at the base of Kilimanjaro where many porters live).

This was an exciting opportunity for the men and women who work with Follow Alice as Kilimanjaro porters to learn a new skill. As mentioned, porters on Kilimanjaro usually don't receive first aid training, but we wanted to offer this course as an opportunity for career development. While some porters remain porters throughout their careers, others advance in the ranks, becoming assistant guides and eventually even lead guides, which are higher paid professions.

We also had a couple of our Kilimanjaro cooks join the course as they were also keen to learn a new skill.

First aid course arm sling practise

Some of our porters learning to make arm slings on the day

What did the participants learn?

The first aid training took place from 8 am to 4 pm on two consecutive days. The programme involved oral and visual instruction in wilderness first aid principles and best practices, including the ABCDE approach to patient assessment:

  • Airway
  • Breathing
  • Circulation
  • Disability
  • Exposure

The primary focus of the programme was on how to treat impact trauma and fractures and how to evacuate those in need. Participants were able to engage in hands-on practising of the various skills. Those who passed the course were then awarded a first aid certificate that's valid for two years. 🤓

These photos help tell the story ...

Below are some pictures from the training that help to tell the story. As you can see, while first aid is a serious topic and the participants were taking the course seriously, there was also room for some fun and laughter!

Follow Alice porters during first aid training, seated at tables, listening to lecture

The programme started with a talk

First aid course arm sling

Everyone then gathered around to see the procedures in action

MAn in Follow Alice shirt learning bandaging first aid

It was then time to practise for themselves

First aid course practising arm bandage

You may have noticed that our porters aren't only men

Stretcher setup, first aid course

The team also had to learn how to set up a stretcher

Knotting a leg splint

The knotting for a splint is important

Follow Alice first aid course, leg splint

Abedi having a laugh at his leg being put into a splint

Men carrying a man on a stretcher

Most folks evacuated off Kilimanjaro are carried down on a stretcher like this one

Chris, Mel and Bobu

Finally, our Follow Alice Tanzania directors, Chris and Bobu, were there to oversee the training

Well done to all the men and women who took part in the training and earned their first aid certificate – we're super proud of you!