Charlie Lynn, who trekked Kokoda 101 times over a 32-year period, has come face-to-face with both emergency needs of villagers and their ongoing development needs.
During this period he established the Kokoda Track Foundation and Network Kokoda as philanthropic bodies to support their needs in education, health and agriculture.
In additions to this his company, Adventure Kokoda, has funded emergency evacuations and hospital treatment for village children in need of urgent care.
Click on the two links below to view tetails of the two charitable foundations Charlie has established:
Our community projects across the Kokoda Trail continue to improve the livelihoods of the subsistence villages who live along it.
Our objective, as the major philanthropic provider on the trail today, is to honour the legacy of our Kokoda veterans the PNG wartime carriers.
As a result, we have a different approach to normal civilian NGOs in PNG in that we use our networks to establish local partnerships. We don’t hand out funds on behalf of Government or other well-intentioned individuals as this inevitably leads to an attitude of aid-dependency or cargo-cultism.
We have applied this principle to villages along the trail by assisting with agricultural production; local health needs at the village level; by empowering local community groups through the literacy programs; and providing long term education programs for village students.
Our major achievements to date include the construction of:
- a TB Isolation Ward at the Popondetta Hospital;
- a Community Learning Centre at Abuari Village;
- a Women’s Learning Centre at Sogeri;
- Market gardens at Sogeri and Iaowari High Schools;
- Two fish farms in Menari village;
- A commercial fish farm at Iaowari High School; and
- Donations of school supplies and sporting to the value of $50,000 along the trail each year.
During our treks across the trail, we are often presented with urgent calls for medical assistance from local villagers. As a result, we have evacuated a number of adults and children to the Pacific International Hospital for treatment, covered their rehabilitation, and assisted them to return to their village.
One of the most touching moments happened in Alola village last year. I was asked to check one of the elders who I had known for more than 20 years. He had a badly infected cut from a rusty machete on his leg. I had a nurse with me who dressed the wound and we left him with a course of antibiotics. The nurse explained that he should be in hospital on a drip but that was out of the question. I doubted very much that he would survive.
On my next trek a couple of months later I noticed him sitting in the shade under his hut watching our trekkers as they took a break. After they had afternoon tea they saddled up and walked past him without noticing – but I saw him sitting there quietly clapping his hands as they walked past. It was his way of saluting them because if it was not for trekkers passing though he would have died. Small things that make a big difference in their lives.
As a result of our partnership with Iaowari High School, which has approximately 600 boarding students, it is now being redesignated as an Agricultural College.
Our directors include our Chairman, Andrew Tracy and a fellow stockbroker from JB Were, Tom Hayward; Colonel Kimberlea Juchniewicz; Colonel David Knaggs; Heather Crichton; Lucy Broad and Gerard McSpadden – our support crew in Victoria include Gary Blackwood MP; Tim Bull MP. former MP, Gary Blackwood, and the dynamic Mary-Jo Cochrane.
Don Daniels MBE: Founder and Chairman of Port Moresby Grammar School
‘Good morning Mr Lynn,
‘Years ago, we first met in the dining room of the Parliament of New South Wales when you invited Dame Carol Kidu and myself to a dinner. The occasion then was about assisting Papua New Guinea students, especially those from villages along the Kokoda track.
‘Little did I know then, how much Port Moresby Grammar School is now in your debt for the support you have given the school.
‘Among other things, this support consists of:
- ‘four Adventure Kokoda bursaries
- ‘your kindness in sponsoring Margaret Aitsi and Alfreda Nakue on the trip of a lifetime to Australia
- ‘over 2500 books received for the library and classrooms
- ‘a plethora of stationery supplies
- ‘medical equipment and supplies
- ‘a wide variety of sports gear
- ‘K3500 in cash for special needs aspects in the school
- ‘Exposure of our students to wonderful ordinary Australians who come to PNG….and reciprocally for Aussies to see and bond with Papua New Guineans within the school environment.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of the School, please accept our sincere and grateful thanks for that you have done and we hope this special bond between POM Grammar and Kokoda will continue and strengthen.
Sincerely,
DONALD DANIELS MBE
