Tarpuy Yachay is the name of Dragoman’s community-based tourism project in Peru. The project centres around two remote communities situated high in the Andes near Urabamba, close to the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. The project kicked off in 2005, having been set up as an integral part of our unique and pioneering “Community Inca Trek”.

The Community Inca Trek is a genuinely sustainable and ethical trekking programme – i.e. It really does directly benefit the host communities we trek through via education, income generation, and environmental initiatives. The project also aims to help protect the communities from exploitation whilst giving them ownership over how their environment is used.

In 2009 the project has continued to go from strength to strength, and 70% of people who travel with us in this region now choose to participate in the Community Inca Trek rather than the hugely popular classic “Inca Trail”. In the last 12 months, Dragoman company and passenger donations have amounted to around US$10,000, a fantastic achievement and something we’re really proud of.

Key achievements so far:

• Refurbishment of school buildings
• Employing full-time teachers at each school
• Provision of essential school equipment
• Ongoing health education & nutrition programmes
• Improving medical provision in both communities
• Development of official camping areas
• Re-forestation micro-projects in conjunction with ECOAN: planting of 7500 Quena trees in areas in danger of extinction

What we want to achieve next:

• Providing a nutritious breakfast for all pupils in each school
• Micro-project to provide sustainable fuel stoves (using llama dung in order to reduce wood consumption)
• Employ a second teacher for each school
• Continue with environmental sustainability projects in conjunction with ECOAN
• Create a scholarship fund for each school, enabling gifted children to continue on to further education