Village Projects
In 2008, 17 million dollars was spent with trekking companies who passed through Kokoda Village, but very little of this money is passed onto the Kokoda Primary School and the Kokoda Memorial Hospital. The Kokoda Challenge Association has adopted the Kokoda Primary School and Memorial Hospital as our priority projects and have pledged support to help them with resources and maintenance.
The best way to roll out financial support and assistance in Kokoda is to go over and do it yourself, and as such we are organising annual maintenance trips. We are seeking the help of tradesman/handyman (or women) that are willing to travel to Papua New Guinea and spend a week working on set projects within the school and hospital. But it is not all hard work, you will also have the opportunity to walk the Kokoda Track up to Isurava and pay tribute to our diggers by visiting the Memorial. This trip also delivers a traditional Village experience, in which those attending will stay at a beautiful creek side village, Fala.
If you volunteer to be part of the maintenance team you will be required to cover some of the costs involved, including airfares and accommodation at Fala Village. It would normally cost between $4,500-$5,000 for a 10 day trip to walk the Kokoda Track. However, on this trip not only to you get to walk a section of the Kokoda Track, you will enjoy a traditional village stay (with traditional food and accommodation) as well as making a grass roots contribution to a needy community. Fala Village where the maintenance team will stay
The cost for volunteers on the maintenance trip will be $1,500 per person.
If you are interested in being part of the 2010 maintenance team, click here to contact our PNG Projects officer who will send you some more information and a submission form to complete.
To view photos of the PNG Projects click here.
Why we need to help
The Kokoda Primary School began when a village lady decided to educate the kids. They began by meeting under a tree and writing in the dirt, suddenly there were a hundred kids turning up and they eventually built a building in 1949. The school was expanded in the 1960's but has not been refurbished since. The maintenance team will reroof the buildings and restore some of the structures.
We want to give the students of Kokoda Primary School better opportunities - currently the class sizes are 60 students to 1 teacher. If we can improve the premises - it will attract teachers to the school. In addition to improving the school we are also funding the higher eduction of two new trainee teachers for the school.
The school currenlty has 500 students and there are only two pit toilets and no running water to wash their hands. As such, it is normal for young girls to stay away from school as they do not wish to use the toitlets. We plan to install a septic toilet system to accomodate the students and introduce an education program in good sanitation.
