Sipi, where children guide tourists

When you visit Sipi Falls in Kapchorwa District, you find a number of children ready to guide you around. They will give you a walking stick, hold your hand in case you are an elderly person or walk besides you, purposely to give support in case you slide or get tired.
James Chemonges,13, is a Primary Six pupil currently living with his grandparents. His earnings as a tour guide at Sipi 2 Falls contribute to his school fees.
“I lost my parents when I was about three years old. I was told they died in the same year, but on different days. I have been raised by my grandmother,” says the jolly Chemonges, who declines to have his pictures taken.
Every penny counts in a life like his, so one must pay for a click of their camera because he believes anyway, tourists and other visitors take advantage of photographs of boys like him to make money off foreigners.
For his guide services, he charges between Shs500 to Shs2,000, depending on the nature of the tourist, appearance and colour.
“The fleshy visitors and white people are rich. They usually give me Shs2,000 but the petite tourists normally give me Shs500 or even less,” Chemonges asserts.
The dark-skinned teenager says he has been earning from guiding tourists since he was nine years old. Besides paying his schools fees, he is able to buy school requirements such as books, pens, shoes, uniforms and also meet some of the costs at home.
Supplementary income
His colleague, Peter Kiplomo, is in Primary Five. Unlike Chemonges whose parents died, Kiplomo lives with both his parents. They provide him with all the necessary school requirements, but they do not give him pocket money, something that prompted him to earn his own.
Kiplomo and Chemonges use the same methods to charge their tourists. The duo says on average they earn between Shs20,000 and Shs10,000 every day but their earnings double during weekends because there are more tourists.
“We rarely work during week days because we are at school. It’s only our colleagues who dropped out of school that guide tourists during those days,” Kiplomo states.
Nevertheless, the duo competes for clients with other children.
During the recent visit to Sipi 2 Falls, there were more than 10 children fighting to guide the tourists.
Eric Emahoe, a tour guide and administrator at Noah’s Ark Guest House in Sipi 2 Falls, says the place gets eight to 10 tourists, especially on weekends. He says tourists usually prefer being moved around by children because they believe children shares true stories.
Emahoe also reveals that the children are reportedly deployed by a resident called Anana Chemo to collect, money on his behalf. He gives them 60 per cent of what they collect a claim that could not be independently verified.

Looking into the future
Nevertheless, the duo has not operated with challenges. Among their woes is being rained on, language barrier and foreign exchange currencies. “There are times when I get a tourist who only speaks kiswahili or other foreign languages. I usually fail to ask them for money,” Kiplomo reveals.
Chemonges says when a foreign tourist gives them currencies they are not used to, they sell them cheaply to friends who are conversant with foreign currencies and can access Forex bureaus.
Chemonges and Kiplomo prospect on becoming professional tour guides after completing school. They hope to pass the knowledge they have acquired to other tourists in future.

If you go

Sipi Falls is a series of three waterfalls in the eastern Uganda district of Kapchorwa. The waterfalls lie on the edge of Mount Elgon National Park near the Kenyan border. Hikes around the falls offer stunning views of the Karamoja plains, Lake Kyoga, and the slopes of Mt Elgon. Individuals can organise trips through the Uganda Wildlife Authority or local private operators. There are a number of lodges and backpackers/campsites in the area offering a range of accommodation for all budgets. Rob’s Rolling Rock, a local outfit trained by Italian climbers offers abseiling along the side of the main 100m Sipi waterfall as well as climbing on 14 bolted sport routes. Other activities include hiking around the local area and visiting the local waterfalls.
For one to visit Sipi One, Two and Three falls, you need Shs25,000. For a night you walk with $190 (Shs678,300) for self-contained cottage, two persons $258 (Shs921,060), $358 (Shs1.28m) and dormitory goes for $67 (Shs239,190).

Compiled from the internet

20,000

The amount the young tour guides earn on a good day.

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