Mission Statement
The Kokoda Track Foundation is an Australian philanthropic organisation which aims to repay the selfless help given to Australia during WWII by the ‘Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels’ of Papua New Guinea by helping to improve the lives and futures of their descendants.
It does that by assisting with their education and healthcare, by trying to protect their environment, by helping to foster the growth of an eco-friendly trekking and tourism industry from which they can benefit, by working to keep the story of Kokoda alive, and by seeking to identify and foster the next generation of PNG leaders.
The Foundation’s current projects include providing over 350 school scholarships to students from villages along the Kokoda Track, funding educational supplies to 40 schools in the region, supporting the Kokoda Memorial Hospital with medicines and supplies, and constructing seed multiplication nurseries to help rebuild village food gardens destroyed by devastating Cyclone Guba.
They were there for us in our darkest hours... now it's our turn to lend a hand
History
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 Koiari and Orokaivean people living along the Kokoda Track.
All founding board members walked the Kokoda Track prior to joining the board of directors. The initial focus of the Foundation was on education, health, and contributing to a sustainable tourism industry along the Kokoda Track.
Since its inception, the Foundation has significantly expanded the reach of its education, health, and community development programs to a range of communities living along, and in the catchment area of, the Kokoda Track. The Foundation now runs programs in education, health, community development, and microbusiness in over 40 communities throughout the catchment area.
Since 2003, we have engaged volunteers and local community partners to deliver our programs on the ground in Papua New Guinea. In 2009, the Foundation appointed its first Executive Director, Dr Genevieve Nelson.