Out now – Our CEO, Lynne Shori, interviewed on ABC Conversations with Sarah Kanowski
Helping PNG Communities Thrive
Engage | Mobilise | Unite
Most Australians have flown over Papua New Guinea — an hour or two north of Cairns — on the way to somewhere else. Few ever land.
That’s an odd blind spot, given the shared history. Australia administered PNG until independence in 1975 — many Australian families have a parent or grandparent who lived and worked there. And in 1942, PNG played a decisive role in stopping the Japanese advance toward Australia: along the Kokoda Track, PNG carriers helped save the campaign.
That history has left deep, genuine goodwill between the two countries. What’s missing is genuine understanding of what life in PNG actually looks like today.
Since 2007, Wantaim PNG has worked with rural communities in Manus Province, Papua New Guinea. Wantaim means “together” in Tok Pisin. What began with our founder’s own return to Manus has grown into a province-wide operation — multiple programmes, run by a local team, reaching thousands of women, students and health workers across the region each year. Read more about our founder.
Our programmes — Hamamas Meri, Gudpela Sindaun, Illuminating Futures and First Aid 4 Youth — are designed with the communities we work in. In FY2025, 96% of every dollar donated went directly to them.
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OUR DETAILS
Bank: ANZ
Account name: Wantaim PNG Incorporated
BSB: 012 006
Account no: 227 447 114
ABN: 14 578 483 221
Bank: BSP
Branch Code: 088 943
Branch: Boroko Business Centre
Account no: 7026717160
Swift Code: BOSPPGPM
No Vaccine. No waiting.
When COVID-19 reached PNG, there was no vaccine yet.
Australia closed its state borders in March 2020. One month later, Wantaim PNG began its own response in Manus — soap and hygiene training, delivered door to door.
Over the following eight months, our team reached every community across Manus Province. All of them.
That wasn't just about being there. COVID exposed how little trust many communities placed in public institutions and international agencies. Wantaim PNG's team didn't arrive as strangers. Years on the ground had already earned something that can't be delivered overnight: trust.
To our knowledge, no other NGO or government agency achieved complete community coverage across any province in PNG during this period.
When it mattered most, our team showed up. People let them in.
wantaimpng.org
#WantaimPNG #ManusProvince #CommunityLedHealth #COVID19Response #LocallyLed #PNG #RuralHealth #EveryoneOrNoOne #PacificResponse #GrassrootsChange … See MoreSee Less
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“Melanesian relationships come with an enduring obligation for renewal through presence, reliability and return”.
A concluding message from our CEO’s interview with ABC Conversations this week. Thank you Australia – Papua New Guinea Network for catching it so well. … See MoreSee Less
Finding my mother alive and becoming invincible – ABC listen
www.abc.net.au
Lynne Shori grew up with her hero dad, thinking her Papua New Guinean mother was dead. As an adult, she discovered the truth and set about finding her lost family. When Lynne was growing up, it was ju…3 CommentsComment on Facebook
Such a big day for us. Thank you all joining the telling of this story ❤️🙏🏽 … See MoreSee Less
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