Nine candidates have been successfully selected under the Kokoda’s Track Foundation Archer Leadership Development Program for 2022.
The announcement of these candidates was made this week at the Airways Hotel in Port Moresby. Apart from the announcement, was also the graduation of the 2020 and 2021 cohorts who successfully completed the program.
The nine young men and women under the 2022 Development program are from tertiary institutions in PNG including University of Technology (UNITECH) and University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG).
They were selected based on their merit, leadership potential and the desire to serve their communities and country as young leaders.
According to the CEO of KTF, Dr. Genevieve Nelson, the students participating in this program, are chosen based on their leadership skills who have strong visions and are committed to social justice and change for the country. She added that it was quite a difficult task of interviewing and selecting the 2022 Archer leaders.
“Due to Covid-19, a total of 16 students who undertook the leadership program in 2020 and 2021 were unable to travel to Australia. Fortunately for this year, I am delighted to announce that they will be joining the 2022 cohort and they will all be coming to Australia to participate in the leadership exchange program.”
The Archer leadership program is generously cofounded by the Fred P Archer trust and Newcrest Mining and is now in its 12th year of the Development Program of finding and fostering a new generation of leaders for PNG. Nelson stated that it has been their greatest privilege to work with young leaders under this leadership program.
“The Archer program is a unique one it takes students out of their comfort zone and it’s purposely designed to hold an effective, challenge mindset and create network with very good people like you to give you young people a platform to create social change.”
Amongst the Cohorts who graduated in the leadership program, was a 2021 cohort who shared her experience as to what the program has done for her. Andrea Masta, who is currently a residence medical officer at Port Moresby General Hospital, said that the Archer Leadership Development Program was a very transformative experience for her as this has not only helped her but has always given her an opportunity in prospering herself in this leadership program.
“I would like to thank the CEO of KTF, Dr. Genevieve as well as the COO of KTF, Mr. Mike Nelson, the KTF team and Newcrest Mining for providing not only myself but my fellow peers an opportunity in achieving something good.”
According to Nelson, KTF has not only provided Leadership programs, but has also taken part in other community programs including providing education through their Kokoda College and providing health care services in the Kokoda Catchment Region.
She concluded that KTF aims to help and provide more services and programs to help improve the livelihood of people especially youths who she believes will make a change in the future if provided a good education.