Partnership with Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP)
Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP) is the leading nonprofit organization monitoring the treatment of mountain porters on Kilimanjaro. Mountain porters are an integral part of any Kilimanjaro climb, and are employed to carry your food, equipment and supplies up and back down the mountain. Their working conditions directly impact your experience, and companies that are partners of KPAP demonstrate that they are committed to the well-being of their porters.
KPAP Tanzania
Duma Explorer: one of the 10 founding partners of KPAP’s Partnership for Responsible Travel Program
In 2008, Duma Explorer was one of the 10 founding partners of the Partnership for Responsible Travel Program, managed by the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP). The partnership was created to recognize tour operators committed to fair treatment of porters. Acceptance as a Partner is based upon the climbing company’s meeting the Guidelines for Proper Porter Treatment on Kilimanjaro through the monitoring activities performed by KPAP.
As a founding and long-time partner of the Responsible Travel Program, Duma Explorer has demonstrated its commitment to the fair and ethical treatment of its mountain staff for more than a decade.
In order to qualify as a partner, a company must adhere to the following porter treatment guidelines on Kilimanjaro:
Offer a minimum base wage of TZS 20,000/day.
Ensure porter loads never exceed 20 kilograms.
Ensure porters receive the full amount of tip intended for them – we employ a transparent tipping procedure in which each crew member receives their tip directly.
Provide porters with three adequate meals per day.
Provide porters with proper shelter and ensure they have adequate sleeping equipment.
Care for sick or injured porters in the same way you would care for a sick or injured client.
KPAP sends their own investigative porter on each and every one of our climbs, ensuring that we follow the above guidelines; we are happy to share the latest monitoring report.
When you climb with Duma, you can be confident you’re working with a community-based, ethical and responsible company with long-term staff, all earning a living wage.
