The Porter Voice Collective is comprised of porter voices from Nepal’s Himalayan Trails, Peru’s Camino Inca and Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro. PVC is a media platform that aims to tell the true stories of porters and their lives on the trails. PVC utilizes storytelling as a means to create advocacy towards the creation of WORKFORCE EQUITY TOURISM which ensures that companies and the industry as a whole respect the basic human rights of porters and adhere to equitable treatment of all individuals who work in the trekking tourism industry.

THIS IS WHERE THEIR VOICES LIVE TO TELL THEIR TRUTHS

The Porter Voice Collective was initiated by Marinel M. de Jesus, Esq. a Filipina American and a former civil rights attorney from Washington, DC turned writer and global human rights advocate.

PVC is made possible through international collaborations and partnerships with friends and allies of porters – some of them being filmmakers, writers, journalists, content creators, trekking operators, guides, lawyers, advocates, activists, researchers, anthropologists, historians, human rights organizations, and more who wish to listen to, celebrate, amplify and elevate the porter voice. We utilize the power of digital content creation to advocate for the porters’ rights and educate the tourists so they themselves can advocate for equitable treatment of porters worldwide. We believe that porters have the right be treated with dignity and respect. We also believe that tourists have the right to an honest version of “ethical” tourism that ensure workforce equity.

Will you be a part of us too?

Join us.

MEET OUR PVC TEAM

SARA FRENNING, RESEARCHER

CAMPAIGN COORDINATOR & CONTENT MANAGER

STEPHANIE GUARACHI AYALA

RESEARCHER & CAMPAIGN MARKETING MANAGER

MINGMAR DOLMA SHERPA

NEPAL PROJECT MANAGER / TREKKING GUIDE FOR THE HIMALAYAN WOMEN TRAIL LEADERS CAMPAIGN, FEBRUARY TO MAY 2024

OUR INTERNS / VOLUNTEERS

SOPHIE HUSS-LLENOS

Sophie Huss-Llenos (she/her) is a settler guest born on Turtle Island and lives near Waawiyaatanong, the area now known as Detroit, Michigan, USA. She is an Earth-lover, wife, and cat mom who enjoys spending time outdoors. Professionally, Sophie is a PhD candidate in the Geocognition Research Lab at Michigan State University. Her current dissertation work involves building capacity for ethical engagement with and between diverse stakeholders and rightsholders in mining spaces using community-based approaches. Sophie also serves as a Community Science Fellow with the American Geophysical Union’s Thriving Earth Exchange program and enjoys volunteering with several other environmental justice and outdoor recreation-oriented organizations. As an outdoor recreator, she is passionate about PVC’s mission to advocate for the human rights of porters and create workforce equity tourism in the trekking industry worldwide. This passion grew exponentially after trekking to Chomolungma (so-called ‘Everest’) Base Camp as part of the Himalaya Trail Women Trail Leaders Campaign. She hopes to leverage this experience and her skills to continue to support ongoing PVC efforts in this space. As a professional and whole person, Sophie always tries to center values of loving-kindness, reciprocity, individual and collective well-being, and transparency in all she does.

SANDHYA MAHARJAN

Sandhya is a trekking guide and travel content creator and holds a deep passion for exploring Nepal’s diverse landscapes and cultures. Her experience spans guiding travelers through iconic regions like Everest, Langtang, Annapurna, and Mustang. She’s certified in wilderness first aid and completed Women’s High-Altitude Training with 14 female guides, organized by ‘3summits for Nepal.’ Sandhya has a Bachelor’s degree in Travel and Tourism from the esteemed Nepal Academy of Tourism and Hotel Management (NATHM), under the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Sociology.

Sandhya particularly aligns with PVC’s commitment to promoting equity and inclusion through storytelling. She believes that sharing authentic narratives is key to educating others and creating meaningful change. Her experience in content creation and understanding of the trekking industry in Nepal allows her to contribute meaningfully to PVC’s mission of raising awareness and advocating for porters globally.