Empowerment of Mountain Porters

Nepal’s mountain tourism depends on the dedication and hard work of thousands of local people. For generations, people from the Mahakulung region have worked as porters, guides, cooks, kitchen staff, and other mountain support workers, making trekking and mountaineering journeys possible.

Despite their essential contribution, many mountain workers continue to face unsafe working conditions, inadequate clothing and safety equipment, limited healthcare and insurance, and insecure employment. When workers become seriously ill, injured, or lose their lives in the mountains, their families can face severe financial hardship and limited social support.

These challenges are closely linked to wider problems in mountain communities, including poverty, limited access to quality education and healthcare, and few sustainable livelihood opportunities. Financial hardship can also force children and young people to leave school prematurely to support their families.

Everest Mera Foundation is committed to empowering mountain workers and their families by raising awareness of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), mountain safety, workers’ rights, dignity, and basic protections. We advocate for a tourism industry in which the people who make mountain tourism possible are properly valued, fairly treated, safely equipped, and supported during illness, injury, or loss.