The KTF

The Kokoda Track Foundation was established in 2003 in recognition of the assistance given to Australian Diggers during the Pacific War, from 1942 to 1945 by the people of Papua New Guinea, including the ‘Fuzzy-Wuzzy Angels’ - the Kioari and Orokaivean people living along the Kokoda Track.

The Foundation aims to promote education, health and sporting initiatives designed to enhance the well-being, future and enjoyment of the local communities living along the Kokoda Track.

These initiatives include:

• Support for health, education and sporting initiatives in partnership with the PNG Government and its services
• Active participation and involvement of the local communities along the Track in all initiatives
• Support of self-sustaining eco-friendly tourism industry that benefits the people along the Track
• Liaison with other associations or entities that support or further these objectives

You can have an ongoing impact on the lives of those who live along the Track by:

1. Coming to the Charity Night
2. Becoming a member of the KTF ($120 for 3 years).

The KTF's Patron is the Govenor General of Australia, His Excellency Major General Michael Jeffery with Directors Patrick Lindsay and Yahoo Serious among others.

Education

In 2008, the Foundation will provide scholarships to more than 50 children in PNG to help them to attend secondary school. We have selected students whose families cannot normally afford to send them to school but who have demonstrated promising academic progress in their studies thus far. Our scholarship students are selected on a basis of need, effort and achievement.

The Foundation is also providing school resources and supplies to all of the primary and elementary schools along the Kokoda Track. We will also be providing funding for educational resources to each of our secondary scholarship schools. In total the KTF will support 10 elementary and primary schools and 5 secondary schools in 2008.

The secondary schools that the KTF will sponsor in 2008 provide education to more than 3000 students throughout the Oro and Central provinces whilst the primary and elementary schools service over 1000 local village children.

The KTF is also preparing to launch a new scholarship program in 2008 called ‘Kokoda Scholars’. Four exceptional student leaders will be sponsored throughout their senior high school and university years and will be given a number of leadership, educational and community oriented opportunities. The aim of this exciting new project is to discover and foster PNG’s future leaders. More information to come soon!!

Health

This year the Foundation will continue to provide medical assistance to the people living along and around the Kokoda Track. Already this year we have donated resources and supplies to the Kokoda Hospital where nurses and medical technicians provide medical assistance to those in need.

Common medical situations faced by the staff at the hospital include malaria, dangerous birth deliveries and injuries as a result of the harsh environment (e.g., machete wounds).

We will also continue to provide support in the form of medical supply kits to the villages along the Kokoda Track. These kits are invaluable resources to the local communities and are used by villages in the treatment of numerous problems.

Kokoda Track Sustainable Tourism Plan

Immediately following the formation of the Kokoda Track Foundation in 2003, a proposal for the development of a Strategic Plan for Tourism was prepared.

The development of a sustainable tourism industry based on eco-trekking along the Kokoda Track has been identified as a high priority for the KTF, as it will provide the primary source of income to support the planned socio-economic initiatives for villagers along the track.

The intention is to engage and empower the host communities, enabling them to pursue the goals they have set themselves in the five year development plans drafted during the workshops held at Port Moresby, Efogi and Kokoda. Self-sufficiency will be gained through revenues generated from trekking fees, accommodation, food production and associated activities.

The plan focuses on the environmental, economic, social and cultural aspects of tourism.

Want to know more?