Our Belief:

The basic premise of the IKA Foundation is the belief that the key to poverty reduction lies in education.

What We Do:

The IKA Foundation assists in the furtherance of education for children along the Track and in certain outlying areas by providing scholarships for secondary and post-secondary education.

Our Goals:

• Universal education for the children of Kokoda. The need for access to further education along the Track is critical.  After Grade 8, families are responsible for funding secondary and post-secondary education.  This means sending their children to the city and for most families it is something they cannot manage, particularly if there is more than one child in the family.

• Empowerment of girls and women. When girls are educated and can earn an income, 90% of it is spent on their families and directly impacts the economic growth of their communities.

• Ongoing support for the recipients of our scholarships. This support would be obtained by mentoring from older students who can directly relate to the difficulties of being away from home for the first time and also by helping (tutoring) in areas of school where the students might be having some difficulty.

How Do We Choose?

Financial need is the most important factor however we also consider other factors such as: work ethic, how active the student is in their learning journey and if the student exhibits a positive attitude towards the learning process.

Students interested in applying for a scholarship are required to submit an essay outlining their educational goals, their interest in a particular area of study and what their plans are after they have completed their education.

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Oversight

The IKA Advisory Board has oversight and maintains strict adherence to the guidelines and recommendations set out in their mandate regarding financial funding.  The Board reviews requests submitted taking into account the student, the financial need and other determining factors and works with Jesse Leta to determine the most suitable applicant.

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Donation

If you are interested in donating to the IKA Foundation, please contact us directly at: ikaf@indigenouskokodaadventures.com.  For our trekkers, please speak directly to your senior guide about donating to the Foundation prior to the end of your trek and arrangements for the donation can be made upon your return to Port Moresby.  A receipt will be provided along with much heartfelt thanks from the team.

Our online payment system will be up and running soon.  We thank you for you patience while we work with our tech partners to ensure absolutely seamless, secure payment options for you.  In the meantime, please contact us for further information about payment options that are currently available.  Again, we thank you for your patience.

IRC #501334777