At a Glance
Location: Urubamba, Perú
Impact Area: Labor Inclusion
People Supported:
Rural communities
Joined NESsT Portfolio:
2020
Overview
The ancestral tradition of using llamas to transport goods through the Andes, such as potatoes from the harvest, has almost disappeared to modern ways of transportation. LLama Pack adapted this tradition by training and providing llama farmers with the opportunity to use their llamas to transport camping equipment during trekking excursions. As a result, these llama farmers, marginalized and often exploited by the current tourism industry, now have access to fair and decent work.
Llama Pack operates in the the high-Andean communities located along the Urubamba Mountain Range, parallel to the Sacred Valley of the Incas, and exists to support the local agricultural and pastoralist communities to generate an alternative source of income while providing a socially and environmentally-minded tourism service. To make this opportunity a reality, Llama Pack worked with community members in different areas to create a Llama Trek Service, Intercultural Education Programs, and a Llama Park. After concluding their visit with Llama Pack, guests will leave with a better understanding and appreciation of the high-Andean way of life.
Results & Impact
55
people trained to date
350+
Llama Treks concluded to date
35
people trained in the next year
“Did you know Andean llama farmers are systematically marginalized and discriminated against for having llamas? Breeding llamas was an honorable trade during the Inca empire, but after the Spanish conquest, the struggle of power led llama farmers to the most remote areas and left them in poverty until modern times. The Llama Pack Project works to restore value in this tradition and help llama farmers leave economic poverty. ”
NESsT Investment
NESsT invested in LLama Pack to help the enterprise diversify and strengthen its services and impact. Llama Pack will expand its trekking services to include shorter visits to its newly acquired Park, where visitors can immerse themselves in local customs of the Inca llama breeding communities. This will capture new clients with limited time or less interested in a trekking experience.
NESsT will support the enterprise to strengthen its management and governance as well as its sales and customer acquisition strategy. The visits in the Park will also allow LLama Pack to provide its suppliers with steady revenue streams as all of the families will be given equal opportunities to provide services. The enterprise will reinvest in their training as these services diversify and grow.
Despite the promise of tourism in Peru, COVID-19 has completely halted tourism causing the enterprise to reconsider new avenues that can ensure its sustainability. LLama Pack is currently assessing digital, low-cost solutions such as virtual tours of its park and trekking visits. NESsT will support the enterprise to make this pivot while also ensuring that it can implement basic health measures at the Park such as installing sanitizing stations, promoting the use of masks, and avoiding enclosed spaces.