Kokoda Spirit Announces the Spirit Foundation

Spirit Foundation

The Spirit Foundation principle focus is on the development of education programs and education opportunities for the people along Kokoda and Papua New Guinea.

The Spirit foundation believes that investment in education is essential for social and economic change in PNG. Over ninety five percent (95%) of PNG children/students drop out of the PNG education system. Our focus is to identify and assist these students to have access to education and employment skills.

The Spirit Foundation was created with a desire to assist the people along the track with real and achievable educational and vocational opportunities. The Foundation is supported by the management of Kokoda Spirit and a large number of trekkers who have walked the track. These trekkers have returned from PNG with a real desire to put something back into the country and the people along the track.

The Spirit Foundation provides scholarships to children in PNG predominantly from the Kokoda Track, Oro and Central Provinces region and of Kiorai or Orokaivan descent to help them to attend elementary, primary and secondary school. The Spirit Foundation will also continue funding and support of the students as they progress through University, College or Vocational training. The selected students are those whose families cannot normally afford to send them to school but who have demonstrated promising academic progress in their studies thus far. Scholarship students are selected on a basis of need, effort and achievement.

The Spirit Foundation is also providing school resources and supplies to all of the primary and elementary schools along the Kokoda Track. The Spirit Foundation will also support the “School Mates Reading Program” in the Villages along the Kokoda Track. The “School Mates Reading Program” is a home reader style program where trekkers are invited to support an hour of their time on their trek to read to the children in the Villagers.

The Spirit Foundation will also be providing funding for educational programs and resources to selected secondary schools. The secondary schools that the Spirit Foundation will sponsor provide education to more than 2800 students throughout the Oro and Central provinces whilst the primary and elementary schools service over 800 local village children when the schools are operating effectively.

The Spirit Foundation will fund a new scholarship program for students that show outstanding potential in education and leadership. This sponsorship will carry on throughout their senior high school and university years and they will be given a number of leadership, educational and community oriented opportunities. The aim of this new project is to discover and foster PNG’s future leaders.

The Spirit Foundation is committed to ensuring that the people of PNG and predominantly the people along the Kokoda Track have an ongoing opportunity for access to education and vocational training. These opportunities are essential for the ongoing development of social and economic change along the track and in PNG.

For more information regarding the Spirit Foundation check out our web site or Contact Wayne at Kokoda Spirit kokodaspirit@bigpond.com or Contact Kevin at Kevin@kokodaspirit.com 07 54452758

Visit http://www.kokodaspirit.com