In the latest episode of Kusa Cast, Graeme Watson sits down with Melissa Foley, the passionate founder of All About Africa Consulting.
Melissa’s mission is to promote social and environmental sustainability in the tourism industry throughout Africa, with a particular focus on ethical climbing on Kilimanjaro. As a board member of the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP), based in Moshi and Arusha, she works tirelessly to raise public awareness about the challenges faced by mountain crew members.
KPAP, an organization with a 20-year history, has created a monitoring program to ensure that local climbing companies in Tanzania adhere to best practices and provide fair wages, adequate meals, and suitable living conditions for their crew members. Out of approximately 160 properly licensed climbing companies in Tanzania, about 50 have chosen to participate in the KPAP program. This initiative has proven highly beneficial for these local companies, giving them a competitive edge in a saturated market.
What’s remarkable about KPAP is that it’s completely free to join, offering advantages to operations in terms of best practices and marketing. Despite its limited resources, KPAP provides educational classes and raises awareness about ethical climbing practices. In fact, due to increasing encouragement from consumers and agents, there has been a significant 30% rise in new local companies joining the program. The organisation relies on donations to sustain its operations and continue its crucial work.
One of the key objectives of Kiliporters.org is to prevent exploitation of porters and eliminate the practice of bribes being paid to guides for selection on climbs. Additionally, the organization ensures that porters receive proper tips from clients at the end of the climb, further promoting fair treatment within the industry.
If you’re passionate about promoting social and environmental sustainability within Africa’s tourism industry and want to learn more about ethical climbing on Kilimanjaro, this is an episode of Kusa Cast you don’t want to miss!
Tune in to the podcast now to listen to Graeme Watson’s engaging interview with Melissa Foley, and discover the inspiring work of KPAP and log onto www.kiliporters.org. Join the conversation and be part of the movement for positive change!
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