Nine tourists from Bergamo Province in Northern Italy have vowed to sensitise better conservation of Mount Kilimanjaro, to make it more economically viable to the country.
Effectively next year, the tourists who are members of Club Alpino Italiano (CAI) intend to contribute to afforestation efforts on Mt Kilimanjaro, because of its vital importance to the ecology of the surrounding region.
CAI group leader Domenico Martino said to save the mountain, they intend to introduce programmes aimed at involving local people in tree planting around their farms and homes for ecosystem protection and livelihood improvement.
Martino and his colleagues scaled Mount Kilimanjaro recently using Umbwe route in Kibosho Division, which is of course one of the shortest routes to the southern glaciers and the western breach, and is considered the challenging route, but the Italians liked it.
They took four days to climb the mountain to the top and they spent two days to descend, though rapid speed of the ascent and steepness at times, makes acclimatisation a bit difficult.
Ms Judith Raymond Mushi, who teaches at the Catholic University of Milan who accompanied the group in climbing the tallest Mountain in Africa said the trip was relatively interesting and very rewarding at the same time.
"This is the route to choose if you want to test yourself on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, far from the crowds that are found on the more common trails. My Italian friends enjoyed it and they plan to bring larger groups next year to use Umbwe route to scale Mount Kilimanjaro" she says.
According to Ms Mushi, Umbwe route is a non-technical climb and it offers steep ascents and requires trekkers to scramble over rocks and tree roots at certain points, but it is a wonderful and beautiful experience.
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She says the same group plans educational programmes in both primary and secondary schools around Kibosho about the mountain, where students can learn better conservation of biodiversity, control of pollutants and sustainable use of natural resources.
"We want students in Kibosho and neighbouring villages to learn horticultural skills and take direct action by replanting and distributing species that will help solve multiple problems in the life-sustaining watershed in their villages" she says.
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She adds that next year they intend to organise field days to plant trees along stream (mito) banks that have been denuded in order to protect them from excessive runoff and replant trees to stabilise soil and prevent further erosion.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and East Africa Cooperation, Mr Mahmoud Thabit Kombo is very close to this group and when he was Tanzania's Ambassador to Italy, he encouraged Italians to visit Tanzania Mainland touristic attractions, including Mount Kilimanjaro and national parks and game reserves.
Ms Mushi who is also Tanzania's Goodwill Ambassador of Natural Tourism and Tourism has locally established Kibo Show organisation, to promote tourism in Kibosho and surrounding areas.
"Mount Kilimanjaro can be the best tourism attraction because of its rare and endemic flora, which includes over 1800 species of flowering plants and 700 species of lower plants, designated a World Heritage Site. I want our local people to benefit from it" said Ms Mushi.
Kilimanjaro is more than a destination for the mountain climbers of the world. What most people do not know about the mountain is that it is one of the most productive agricultural areas in Africa. Over a million people live on its lower slopes, taking advantage of its rich volcanic soil and abundant rainfall" sha says.
