Trek team walks to raise funds

KUMURA Foundation’s Travel2Change Trek Team from remote Bundi arrived at Saido Station in the Rai Coast district of Madang after completing a nine-day Finnistera Range Challenge to raise K60,000 to fund the foundation’s rural health and education projects.
The Travel2Change team comprising 24 members, including four females, started the challenge on Oct 25 at Wantoat, Markham district in Morobe to Saido on Monday.
The 130km crossing included the rugged Sarawaget Range to the challenging Finnisterra Range, passing through the YUS Conservation area in Kabwum.
The team trekked passed Kupun village of Wantoat in Morobe to Teptep Station, Bambu, Nankina and Saidor in Rai Coast of Madang, crossing many unbridged rivers, climbing steep and very challenging mountains and passing through many remote villages.
According to the founder, Vincent Kumura, the trek was one of the most challenging and equally beautiful areas, especially the leg between Morobe and Madang before Teptep through the Yus Conservation area.
“It is also the longest of all our Travel2Change treks since 2017. The goal of the trek is to raise K60,000 to fund the foundation’s three key rural health and education projects in Bundi for 2021.”
“While trekking, the team observed that like Bundi, many remote villages of Rai Coast district lacked access to quality basic healthcare and education. The team visited three remote high schools, four primary schools and one elementary school from Wantuot to Saidor. The team also conducted clinics in a very remote village between Nankina and Saidor on their last leg of the Finnistera Range challenge,” Kumura said.