Fabulous Trekking Opportunity turned Ethical Dilemma
Today I’ve been researching some Nepalese Trekking organizations in the hopes of finding one that is taking positive strides in sustainable tourism (sustaining culture, history, the environment and traditions). After reading a great article about geotourism I discovered 3 Sister’s Adventure Trekking Nepal.
I was floored by the company. From their website and their rating with National Geographic they seemed like the perfect fit. The company is run by women and they work to train other Nepalese women to be porters for trekking tourists. These women are trained in something practical that they can earn money at and support their families and themselves. The porters are treated incredibly well and they take steps to make sure they are making positive ecological decisions along the trail. Sounds perfect, right? Here’s a video to prove it!
But after a little further research I found this article. After a few years of business the Three Sisters joined with Empowering Women of Nepal. They began taking in orphans and collecting funds to help the children along with their porters–or so it seemed. According to this article, one couple found that their practices were something other than savory. They report that the children are not fed consistently and their living conditions are below average. The article suggests that they are using the funds intended for the children to benefit their porters.
So they’re still using the money for a positive thing–the porters–if this is true, but the orphans are being neglected because of their social status. On the other hand, I don’t really have any kind of grasp of Nepalese culture and I realize that social status has a different meaning in Nepal than it does in the US. That it is acceptable to let it dictate behavior in a more extreme way.
What I can’t wrap my head around is giving money to a corporation that I suspect might be doing something dishonest with the money, a corporation that has unsafe practices that risk child welfare. But it’s hard to know whether these claims are even substantiated and what they are doing for female porters is absolutely incredible, without-a-doubt.
I don’t know how I would feel about giving them my business. What mentality would I go into it with? Ignorance is bliss? I guess it’s a necessary evil? Or would I just try to go into it without pre-judging the company and hoping for the best from them?
What would you do?
I would try to find additional reviews. Although that one negative review is a red flag, it’d tend to trust multiple reviews. Also, perhaps the group has over extended themselves by adding orphan help to their mix.
Agreed! That’s what it seems like to me. I generally try not to judge a book by its cover…especially if the review is so extreme toward one opinion.
I think I would be careful about judging the organization based on one blog article, particularly in light of the long string of conflicting comments that are attached to that post. If you have other information to suggest they are doing something dishonest with the money, from reliable sources — same goes for evaluating the credibility of the company offering the trekking services — that can help determine the weight of the conclusions/opinions/facts stated. Do your research, and then do what you feel is right based on what you find out from multiple sources on both sides of the argument/equation. Not always a black and white answer — much like evaluating which charitable organizations to donate to sometimes, and trying to assess how effectively and efficiently they use the dollars donated. I think it’s great you ask the question and scratch past the glossy “brochure” and promotional material. Sustainable, responsible travel is something we all should strive to do ~ Kat
I absolutely agree. I shall keep researching! It’s never good to make a decision based on one person’s opinion. Thanks for weighing in. It does help to remember that the answer isn’t black and white, right or wrong. And I think it’s fabulous that you think sustainable travel is important too =)