Our Story
As featured in the Meandering Scars Documentary
OUR STORY
It started on a mountain.
Not in a boardroom. Not with a business plan. On the side of Kilimanjaro, at altitude, where most people are too focused on breathing to think about anything else.
Erika came to climb the mountain in a wheelchair — to raise awareness for suicide prevention and mental health for people with disabilities. Winford was one of her guides. Neither of them planned what happened next.
What started as a climb became a conversation. The conversation became a relationship. The relationship became a shared belief that travel — real travel, the kind that asks something of you — has the power to change how you see yourself and the world around you.
That belief is what Winrica Adventures is built on.
The climb that started everything
She is American. A full-time wheelchair user due to a spinal cord injury. She did not come to Tanzania looking for a tour company. She came because she needed to do something hard, something visible, something that said: this is possible.
He was born and raised on Kilimanjaro — guiding, watching people discover what they were capable of, quietly doing one of the most important jobs in the world. He knew the mountain. What he didn't expect was to meet someone who saw it the same way he did.
They married. She moved from the US to be with him in Moshi. And eventually, they started asking the question that turned into this company: what if we built something that was actually about the people — the clients, the guides, the communities — and not just the destination?
Winrica Adventures is the answer to that question. It is still, every day, a work in progress.
This is bigger than the two of us
We are a small company by choice. Not because we haven't grown, but because we believe that size and care trade off against each other — and we've chosen care.
Every guide who works with us, every porter, every cook — they are not contractors we call when a trip comes in. They are people we know. People whose families we know. People whose children we've watched grow up in the villages surrounding this mountain.
When you travel with us, you are traveling with a team. And every person on that team has a reason to be here that goes beyond a paycheck.
Our Team
These are the people who will actually be with you — before your trip, on the mountain, and after you're home.
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Winford Mtui
Executive Director
Winford was born in a small village on Mount Kilimanjaro. The son of a porter, Winford has worked on Mount Kilimanjaro for 16 years. Most of those years, he has worked as a lead mountain guide. Him and his wife, Erika, have a blended family made up of six children. Winford takes pride in his family and in making sure that all of our customers have the best Tanzania experience when they are with Winrica Adventures.
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Erika Bogan-Mtui
Co-Director - Director of Operations
Erika brings both heart and vision to Winrica Adventures. A globally recognized advocate for people with disabilities, she’s spent years using storytelling and travel to break barriers and build bridges. Originally from the U.S., Erika now calls Tanzania home, where she lives with her husband and co-founder, Winford Mtui.
At Winrica, she leads with purpose—crafting ethical, immersive travel experiences that empower both travelers and local communities. She’s also the co-founder and director of the Dealers of Hope Foundation and Dealers of Hope USA, championing inclusive impact across continents.
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Jackson Mtui
Director of Banking & Finance
Jackson, is the younger brother of Winford and also the co-director and account manager for Winrica. The first in his family to go to college, he is also the manager of UVIMA SACCOS, a small, local cooperative society which accepts savings and makes loans to it’s members. He is married to his wife Agape, and they recently welcomed their precious baby girl into the Winrica Family in October of 2024.
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Waziri LIpumba
General Manager
Waziri had been a trusted Kilimanjaro guide for 18 years. He is married and has four children that are his world. Waziri recieved his education from Intel Training Centre College and actually started out in the industry as a safari guide, before becoming a Kilimanjaro guide. He has had experience with helping people with disabilities reach the top of Mount Kilimanjaro by wheelchair. His passion and heart for the customers of Winrica Adventures is unmatched. He goes above and beyond for all.
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Victor Shirima
Tour Guide
Victor was born in a village on Mount Kilimanjaro. He is married and has three children, one of whom was adopted. He has worked in the industry fo 21 years. He studied at Mt. Meru Tour Guide and Foreign Languages College. He is a mountain guide as well as one of our tour guides for cultural tours. We are proud to have Victor’s knowledge and passion for our customers.
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Joey McGlamory
United States Group Leader
Joey has been in the health and fitness industry for over 30 years. His main calling in life is to help any and everyone achieve things they never thought possible. He has a special passion for working with adaptive athletes and helping them achieve goals and push past their limitations. He is married to his wife, Michelle and currently resides in Austell, Georgia, USA. Joey is an integral part of helping us achieve success!
When you travel with us, you know who you're traveling with.
That's rarer than it sounds. Most tour companies hand you off. A booking here, an operator there, a guide you meet for the first time at the gate.
We don't work that way.
From the first conversation to the last day, you are with people who know your name, know your goals, and are genuinely invested in how this goes for you.
That's the only way we know how to do this.
No pressure. No checkout. Just a conversation with people who are already looking forward to meeting you.