Our Projects

The original meetings with the porters revealed a number of issues. From these, the porters and animal drivers suggested ideas for projects that could be undertaken to improve their conditions.

Projects

Fact Finding Workshops
Raising Tourist Awareness

Training Centre
Environmental Workshops
Backpack Design
Modification of the Porters' Law

Porters' Surveys
Porters Across Borders

Fact Finding Workshops

In January 2004, the Inka Porter Project was asked by representatives from the government, local tour agencies and porters' unions to find solutions to the issues raised by the porters. This proposal came about as part of a workshop run by local research institute Colegio Andino on porter and environmental practice in and around the Machu Picchu Sanctuary.

The Inka Porter Project encourages porters to take an active role in making decisions which affect them. We led a workshop at the First Congress for Porters of the Inka Trail in Ollantaytambo where porter representatives were chosen to discuss issues raised and solutions at a municipal and regional level. A further congress led to the formation of the 'Federation of Porters of the Inka Trails'.

Raising Tourist and Operator Awareness

We aim to raise tourist and operator awareness by:

Publishing a quarterly newsletter, El Ch'aski (download most recent issue here)
Distributing information leaflets and guidelines
Audio-visual presentations with our short film
Sending press releases to national newspapers, travel magazines and guide books
Running regular pub quizzes in Cusco
Organising English teaching trips to porter communities
Influencing international tour operators and local travel agencies
Participating in international travel shows

Training Centre

In January 2005, IPP opened its training centre for porters and animal drivers in the CATCCO museum in Ollantaytambo near the start of the Inka Trail. The Inka Porter Project operates independently of the museum but is grateful for its support. The centre provides a place for porters to express concerns about their working conditions and is a base for our courses in environmental training and sanitation, first aid and English.

Environmental Workshops

IPP has worked with the community of Cachiccata, in conjunction with Adventure Life, to design and implement an environmental training course. The materials developed and experience gained during this course will be used to help porters train each other.

In the past, IPP has also run recycling workshops where volunteers collect paper to recycle using natural plant dyes.

Backpack Design

IPP collected data to allow for the design of backpacks for use on the Inka Trail. Local agency Peru Treks and Adventure has created a patent-free design that is presently being tested.

Modification of the Porters' Law

IPP contributes to the process of modifying the Porters' Law so that it meets specific needs and is properly enforced. This is one aspect of our work with government, porter representatives and agencies to improve porter welfare.

Porters' Surveys

IPP carries out regular porter surveys to monitor their current working conditions. The porters have the opportunity to voice complaints and suggestions in a Porters' Logbook, submitted to the International Porter Protection Group who collect logbooks from Nepal, Africa and other mountainous areas.

Additionally, we receive feedback from tourists who visit our Cusco office.

Porters Across Borders

Many of the problems faced by porters in Peru and Nepal are similar and the Inka Porter Project and Porters' Progress have close links. Nepali porters have written down some of their songs and poems which are currently being translated for the Peruvian porters, and porters here are writing stories to send to Nepal.