Nature Discovery was one of the first Kilimanjaro Guide Companies to partner Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP). We cherish and embrace our role as leaders in establishing the standards of ethical porter treatment on Kilimanjaro.
We were thrilled with our latest KPAP score of 99.3% indicating near perfect porter treatment throughout 2017. Needless to say, we’ll be trying to improve on that next year!
Find out more about what being a Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP) partner means to us here
Our involvement with the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project
Since 2008, together with KPAP, we’ve changed the expectations and outcomes for porters on Kilimanjaro by offering fair working conditions, honesty and transparency to our employees, including the porters who work so hard to guide our guests up Kilimanjaro and keep them safe during the climb.
Our ethical approach has helped revolutionise how Kilimanjaro porters are chosen, outfitted, treated, paid and tipped.
But our work is not over yet. We are committed to raising the bar in terms of further development of fair practices, both in our own tourism business and in other tourism concerns.
To ensure our own high ethical expectations are met we have an experienced, professional and passionate team of managers, guides and porter welfare officers to ensure that we are constantly ‘on it’.
We’re delighted to see KPAP’s relevance and ranks grow, as more and more companies begin to realize the value of practising responsible social tourism, which benefits porters, tourists and tourism companies, alike, as well as Tanzania as a whole.
The KPAP score and ranking system
Each year KPAP grades Kilimanjaro tour companies on their porter treatment and ranks them.
The KPAP score means everything to us. We work hard in-house to uphold our ethical standards and the score is valuable feedback on how we’re doing.
The score and ranking system is a no-holds-barred, objective look at each tour company. It’s the result of hard work done by KPAP and its partners, to assess the standards that have been set in terms of porter hiring processes, weight carried, food provided, gear provided, payment and tipping procedures.
KPAP partnership requires an overall result of 85% or more in order to gain or keep KPAP partner status.
Our latest KPAP ranking
In 2017, we guided over 700 trekkers up Kilimanjaro. This was spread over 130 separate treks and included a total of over 30,000 porter work days over the course of the year.
Every single trek was evaluated by KPAP for how it met all the standards. Our overall result of 99.3% is a clear indication that we’re getting it right and Nature Discovery ranked second out of 36 KPAP partner companies.
This fabulous result took considerable effort and dedication from all our staff. Everyone played their role, from management to guides, and porter welfare officers to KPAP monitoring porters, as well as our core crew members who manage all the details while on each trek.
It’s a phenomenal result and we’re immensely proud to be one of Tanzania’s most ethical porter employees.
Choose a KPAP partner for your next Kilimanjaro adventure
Unfortunately, there are still hundreds of tour companies operating who wouldn’t make the KPAP grade because their porter treatment is unethical.
So, even if you can’t book your Kilimanjaro climb or tour with Nature Discovery, we urge you to choose another KPAP partner.
Fair treatment for porters means a better experience for everyone and you’ll appreciate the difference it makes.
Contact Nature Discovery to Book Your Kilimanjaro Adventure
All our Kilimanjaro climbs, hikes and safaris are custom designed. For a quotation based on your special interests and to suit your budget email us now or use our quick online contact form.
