Founded by Paul and Andrea Woodward, the Koru Pacific Foundation is a private foundation committed to helping children and families with access to food, shelter, basic infrastructure, education, and health care.
Our mission is to provide financial support to Canadian registered charities offering programs and initiatives aligned with our goals, focusing on children and families with diverse needs both locally and around the world.
The Koru Pacific Foundation is run entirely on a volunteer basis, has no full-time staff and all administration costs are fully funded by Koru Pacific Development Ltd., meaning 100% of every dollar goes directly to the benefit of the initiatives we strive to support.
What's New for 2025
We are thrilled to announce that we have partnered with Baraka Community Partnerships to create the very first Baraka Primary School! Building on their amazing work at the Baraka Learning Center, and with the recognition received with the completion of significant projects in 2024 (Science Block, Safe House, outdoor gym and a new Zipline in the playground), the Zambia government’s District Education Board agreed to turn over operation of a local primary school to Baraka, with the goal of improving and expanding the current facilities, and enhancing the level of education currently being offered.
The existing primary school (known as Mulungushi) has just 6 classrooms for almost 900 students. The first two phases of the project, funded by Koru Pacific Foundation, will include two new classrooms, a new teachers house, a new perimeter fence around the school property, new furniture and school supplies, and a re-fresh of the existing classrooms. Work will begin in 2025 so stay tuned for our next fund-raising initiative, or feel free to Donate now!
Paul and Andrea, during construction of the Science Block
2024 Initiatives
2024 was an exciting year for Koru Pacific Foundation. In addition to our continued support of Backpack Buddies and Ronald McDonald House, both the Science Block and Girls Safe House projects in Zambia completed construction. Both projects have been extremely well received by the community and have been a huge success for Baraka.
I know I keep saying this, but the science block is working really well and is a massive boost to the schools in the area.
— Andy McKee, Co-Founder, Baraka Community Partnerships
While in Zambia last year, we were lucky enough to meet and get to know Taonga Nyirenda, a kind, compassionate, intelligent young woman with a great sense of humour. We felt such an immediate connection with Taonga that we decided to sponsor her post secondary education pursuits. She started her studies at Copperbelt University, Zambia’s second largest university, in 2024.
2023 Campaign
Kilimanjaro for Kids
In September 2023, Paul climbed Kilimanjaro in support of the Baraka Learning Center and the children that so deeply rely on it for community support, education, sports, and activities. The elevation of Uhuru Peak at the top of Kilimanjaro is 19,341 feet so we thought it would be fun to set a fundraising goal of $19,341. We were thrilled to exceed this goal and Kilimanjaro for Kids raised over $29,000!
Continuing Andrea’s involvement with Baraka Community Partnerships, which dates back to 2013, Koru Pacific Foundation worked closely with Baraka in 2023 on the planning and design of a new two-classroom science block for up to 64 students, as well as a new girls safe house to provide secure housing for up to 30 girls. Koru Pacific Foundation funded the new science block, and facilitated a partnership with World Housing who generously provided the funding for the girl’s safe house.
Paul and Andrea spent time at the Learning Center in October 2023, firstly to help out with whatever work was needed to be done around the property and to help with the new science block and safe house construction. They then worked to support the volunteer medical team from Peace Arch Hospital in White Rock, who were on site for a week delivering medical care to people that arrived from across the region.
2022 Campaign
CAMINO FOR KID
In May 2022, Paul walked 525 km of the Camino del Norte in Spain, partly to raise money for Backpack Buddies through our campaign called Camino for Kids! Thanks to your generous support, we were able to contribute over $28,000 to Backpack Buddies!
Baraka Canada
Baraka Community Partnerships is a charity committed to improving education, healthcare, water and sanitation in Zambia and Laos. Baraka Canada was started in 2013 with the original goal to support medical trips to Zambia by building a working relationship between Peace Arch Hospital in White Rock, BC and Kabwe Hospital in Zambia. Since then, the Zambia mission has expanded. As well as sending out teams of doctors and nurses to Zambia on a biennial basis, Baraka Canada has become increasingly involved in fund-raising activities, working with sponsored children, and providing financial aid for a learning center and other educational projects in Zambia.
As a former board member and volunteer in Zambia, Laos and Morocco, Andrea has witnessed the impact that Baraka has on the communities in which it works and Koru Pacific Foundation is proud to provide financial support for their mission in Zambia.
Backpack Buddies
Families across BC living in poverty struggle to keep food on the table over the weekends when school meal programs are closed. For over 5,300 kids, Backpack Buddies provides a weekly bag of food including nine meals and snacks to feed children for the weekend and beyond. From seaweed snacks and hummus to sweet peppers and tuna, these weekly bags are loaded with kid-approved food to keep kids growing.
Backpack Buddies provides over 1.25 million meals a year to children across British Columbia who would otherwise not have eaten on the weekend.
Koru Pacific Foundation is pleased to provide financial support each year, and Andrea continues to enjoy working with the team as a volunteer at the North Vancouver warehouse.
Ronald McDonald House BC and Yukon
When parents have a child who is battling a serious illness and the specialized care required is hours from home, the situation can feel overwhelming. Paul learned first-hand how invaluable the support of a Ronald McDonald House can be during a very difficult time.
For over 35 years, Ronald McDonald House BC has offered accommodation that keeps children and families close to that specialized care and an incredible community of support. Today, RMH BC is a wonderful 73-bedroom house located near BC Children’s Hospital.
Koru Pacific Foundation has made a 3-year commitment to adopt one of these rooms.
Charitable Registration Number: 786599464RR0001