Kokoda Track Foundation
Kokoda Track Foundation (KTF) has been recognised for Outstanding Achievement in The Australian Charity Awards 2024. The Australian Charity Award for Outstanding Achievement [OAA] recognises charitable organisations that have achieved outstanding results through initiatives that have significantly benefited charitable causes.
KTF works alongside communities in Papua New Guinea to improve lives, livelihoods and futures. They do this by assisting remote and rural communities with access to early childhood, primary, secondary and tertiary education; improving access to quality and accessible healthcare; improving opportunities for and the safety of women; and by fostering the next generation of leaders.
KTF’s primary development focus is education with its flagship program, the Flexible Open Distance Education (FODE) Program, delivering non-traditional second-chance schooling pathways for early school leavers to reconnect with formal education and matriculate to a Grade 12 level. Second-chance education pathways, like the FODE program, exist in Papua New Guinea as a critical supplement to the traditional, formal schooling system, which does not cater for PNG’s growing population, the emerging youth bulge, or the predominant population based in the rural areas of the country.
Despite the PNG government’s ambitious vision of FODE as a comprehensive solution for second-chance education, its implementation has encountered significant hurdles. Financial barriers prevent many from enrolling, and there are logistical challenges of multiple trips to distant locations for enrollment, assignment collection, and exams. Limited spaces and a scarcity of FODE programs exacerbate the issue, while adult learners returning to the classroom after years away struggle to navigate self-directed learning without adequate support. The absence of guidance and avenues for clarification exacerbates these challenges, compounded by errors in assignments and learning materials identified through KTF’s experiences. These multifaceted obstacles demonstrate the complexities of executing large-scale educational initiatives in remote and rural contexts.
KTF utilises a Theory of Change model to outline how it will achieve its mission and strategic goals. It achieves this through the input of development activities, with expected mid-long-term outcomes, creating outputs and long-term impacts. KTF’s Theory of Change recognises the complex intersection of causes of poverty and supports the social, human rights, and asset changes needed in PNG to lift communities out of poverty by working across education, health, equality, and leadership.
KTF’s FODE program fulfils a vital need in Papua New Guinea while aligning with various Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 4: Quality Education, SDG 5: Gender Equality, SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.
Beginning with just one classroom in Kokoda, KTF’s FODE program has grown extensively in the past several years, expanding the Kokoda campus and establishing Balimo College into a thriving regional education hub. Each of KTF’s new locations has started conservatively with one-classroom operations, growing as needs and donor support became evident. In every development of the FODE program, extensive collaboration was required between the communities, Provincial Education Departments, the National FODE Organisation, and KTF to determine how to deliver the FODE program and curriculum within each region effectively. KTF works in partnership with communities to develop plans that create community ownership and participation in the project activities, which has greatly contributed to the sustainability and success of the project.
Key components of KTF’s strategy include individualised student tracking and support, enhanced access to resources and technology, financial support, and the provision of on-campus accommodations and transportation. KTF also employs comprehensive gender social inclusion processes that ensure gender parity and actively encourage the participation of people with a disability to enrol in a KTF FODE program. By utilising these strategies, KTF ensures that ALL students have equal opportunity and support systems in place to thrive academically, thereby increasing the likelihood of their success in the FODE program.
KTF is consistently refining educational strategies, activities, processes, policies, and delivery models to address key weaknesses and priorities across PNG and deliver more effective learning outcomes.
Since the launch of KTF’s FODE initiative, KTF has achieved remarkable education outcomes for rural and remote communities, with more than 3,000 students receiving support for enrolment, with 53% male, 47% female, and 14% being persons with disabilities. This initiative offers a vital second chance at education, enhancing opportunities for learning.
Students benefit from free tuition, access to resources like tablets, transportation to and from FODE centres, on-campus healthcare, and personalised guidance to ensure successful graduation and pursuit of tertiary education, particularly in critical fields such as teaching and healthcare.
To find out more about Kokoda Track Foundation, visit ktf.ngo