Inka Porter Project (IPP)

The Cusco-based Inka Porter Project (IPP), founded two years ago, continues to go from strength to strength. Next January sees the opening of a new training and drop-in centre for the porters and muleteers in Ollantaytambo at the foot of the historic Inka trail up to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Machu Picchu. The centre aims to equip the local communities with skills such as first aid, waste management and best environmental practice in order to help preserve the trail which welcomes thousands of visitors each year. It will also act as a place for the porters to express any concerns that they might have about their conditions of employment such as salary and provision of equipment.

This year, IPP has focused its efforts on raising awareness among tourists of responsible trekking in and around the Sacred Valley, including advice on good porter practice and environmentally friendly tips such as using biodegradable soap while on the Inka trail. The team’s creative initiatives have included organising pub quizzes and days out to Quechua-speaking villages where tourists give English lessons to the porters in return for a greater cultural understanding of their way of life. The porters also teach participants a few words of Quechua.

Raising funds for the new training centre is high on IPP’s current agenda and, in conjunction with Tourism Concern, the not-for-profit organisation, has held a raffle early in the New Year. First prize was a trip for two to Peru courtesy of Explore Worldwide and Iberia Airlines which was won by Saima Aziz. Saima Aziz lives in Tooting, London, and has never been to South America before. She only bought one ticket and was delighted to win!

For more information on the Inka Porter Project, visit our website.