KPAP news update

Tuesday 31st July 2007

The most senior Tanzanian on the staff of the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project, KPAP, has been accused of ‘misusing’ funds from the charity.

The man, whom we won’t name but who was a familiar face to those who have visited KPAP’s office in Moshi, has since left the charitable organization, which seeks to fight for the rights of porters on Kilimanjaro.

According to Karen Valenti, the charming American lady who runs the office and who provides much of the impetus and ideas for KPAP, the discovery that he had been using KPAP money for his own ends was a particular blow as it was hoped that he would eventually take over from Karen and run KPAP by himself.

Karen herself has now returned to the US, and together with the charity is looking for a replacement to take over her role in Tanzania, having decided the charity needs ‘new energy’ in order to progress. That said, Karen will still be fighting on behalf of the porters - though this time by contacting the US companies who organize treks up Kilimanjaro - and will still be visiting Tanzania as part of her work (she is due to return again this September).

It is to be hoped that a successor for Karen can be found quickly and that the sad matter of staff misusing funds can be swiftly put behind them. KPAP do invaluable work on Kilimanjaro, fighting for the rights of the poorest workers on the mountain. The discovery of funds being misappropriated was a real blow; we wish them better fortune in the coming months.

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