Jonah Kautu Academy holds Fundraising Drive

The Jonah Kautu Academy (JKA) held its first major fundraising event last Saturday, 22nd November 2025, at Port Moresby’s Bisini Lawn Bowls Club. 

This event was staged to raise some funds for the academy to meet some of the expenses for next year’s program.

Four companies attended the event, including the National Airports Corporation, TCB Travel, KiVA, Kimbe Luspruts, and JKA parents.

The attendees not only engaged in the fundraiser but also took part in lawn bowling games, and the winners claimed small prizes at the end of the event.

Jonah Kautu, a former PNG Pukpuk and Kramer APAC Rugby Union Club stalwart, established the academy last year, aiming to mentor and pass his vast rugby knowledge and skills to emerging talents.

Kautu described the fundraiser as a launchpad for the academy’s progress, saying: “This is our first major fundraising event after two years of existence.

“This is the first fundraising, and we aim to do it annually. Whatever funds we have raised will go towards sustaining our program.”

The Jonah Kautu academy runs basic rugby skills training for the kids from U7 to U16. Around 60 kids registered at the academy last year, and the number of kids increased to over 100 this year.

The academy not only teaches rugby skills to rising talents, but it also creates pathways for the established players. From 2024-2025, 12 players have secured placement in Australia through the academy, who are working and playing at the same time. 

Kautu mentioned that the academy has two pillars: short-term and long-term goals. The short-term goal for the academy is to focus on the kids, while the long-term goal is to create pathways for these kids, including any promising rugby players, to pursue their careers abroad.  

Interestingly, the Jonah Kautu Academy started a partnership with Lae’s Scrum Academy and plans to work collaboratively to grow the two academies in Lae and Port Moresby, respectively. 

The veteran campaigner revealed that they are planning to host a two-day festival between the two academies in Port Moresby next year. The event is scheduled during the first or second week of January.    

In addition, the PNG Pukpuk legend expressed satisfaction with the progress of the academy this year, but admitted that there’s still more work to be done to elevate the academy's standard.

Mr. Kautu sincerely thanked the parents for their unwavering support over the last two years, whose backing has enabled the academy to run smoothly, and he looks forward to delivering a bigger and better program in 2026.