Donate Now
Awardees Stories
Our Awardees
ROB has so far funded almost 100 students and we look forward to supporting many more in the future.
We would like to introduce you to a few of our rising star awardees who since completing their training have continued to progress their careers.
Our Latest Awardees 2019
Fredy is 21 from the village of
Geita Kaduda. He is an orphan. His father died when he was 3 months old and his mother just after he started secondary school, which he then had to leave to start working to support his siblings. He has been working as a porter with the African Walking Company since 2011, where he feels he is part of a family again. He continues to study in his spare time and already has a tour guide qualification. By winning the scholarship with ROB he feels his prayers have been answered and he cannot wait to complete his training to become a full mountain guide and help people climb to the top of Kilimanjaro.
Angela is one of 5 siblings. Unfortunately, her parents passed away when they were still young and she has been responsible for bringing up her 2 younger sisters for some time. In 2017, she trekked on Mt Kilimanjaro and fell in love with the mountain. It became her dream to be a mountain guide. After working in the office for a tour company she left to start working as a porter and became even more determined to pursue a career as a guide. She hopes by working as a guide she can improve the standard of living for her family and the community around.
Angela Desdery
Fredy Lupala
Ruth has been working as a porter on Kilimanjaro for African walking company for many years. Her father was a Mt Meru Park ranger and it is her dream to follow in his footsteps and become a guide.
Elineka was born in the Moshi district of Tanzania. She is a very experienced porter having summited Kilimanjaro more than 20 times. It is her passion to become a mountain guide and continue working on the mountain.
Ruth Embedodo
Elineka A. Mwanga
21 years old, single from Sakila village Arusha
Cornelio 27 years old. He started to work on Kilimanjaro as a porter in 2011 and it has since been his dream to become a mountain guide.
Cornelio Stephen
Bayo
Naomi Ismaill
Pallangyo
Grayson is 22 years old. After completing his studies 2 years ago he has since been working as a porter. He is committed to become a guide and is excited for the opportunity to study at the African College of Wildlife Management.
Rumishra is a porter working on Kilimanjaro. He is very motivated to learn and gain new skills. He is very happy that thanks to ROB he can attend college get his guide qualification.
Grayson S.
Mchopa
Rumisha J.
Mshambala
Previous Awardees
Justin Thomas
Justin Thomas 39 years old is from Kikelelwa village in Tarakea on the slopes of Kilimanjaro. In 1999 Justin attended an English course that allowed him to start working in tourism. He passed the Kilimanjaro National Park (KINAPA) training for guides in 2010. Justin was one of ROB’s first awardees in 2014 and is now working as a chief guide with the African Walking company. ROB is proud to welcome Justin to our team as our first local volunteer from Tanzania . He will be working as our liaison officer with our awardees and local partners helping make our work 'Even Better'.
Abraham Kipokola
Abraham Kipokola 40 years old and is from Sombeti village in Marangu on the slopes of Kilimanjaro. In 1998 Abraham completed a 6 month Tour Guide training programme and then gained his KINAPA licence in 2006. In 2014 Abraham was one of the first awardees to benefit from ROB funded training and he has continued to progress his career in the African Walking Company. He is now deemed one of the be most skilled and respected chief guides at African Walking Company and thanks to the continued support of ROB has been further developing his skills to enable him to support and contribute to the training of junior staff in the company.
Asha Juma
Asha Juma 46 years old started her mountain career working as a porter. After only a few climbs she began helping out the expedition chef. Her enthusiasm and promise that she showed in the field kitchen led to her being invited on a training climb on Kilimanjaro in November 2014 supporting the resident chef preparing meals.
In spring 2015 Asha entered a “cook off” competition as part of the selection process for an Assistant Chef position. Asha won the cook off and was given the job. In 2016 ROB funded Asha to complete her formal chef training after which she was appointed as Team Chef becoming the first qualified woman chef working for the African Walking Company. Asha continues to work as a chef with AWC and is now helping to train and supervise other young women on the mountain who want to become a chef.
Awardees: Women's Group 2018
Awardees 'Becoming Even Better' 2018