Wantok Support is a UK based, non-profit-making charity governed by a Board of Trustees.
Wantok Support started as the dream of the former PNG High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Ms Jean Kekedo OBE, CSM to assist Papua New Guinean citizens who were destitute. This culminated into her approaching PNG nationals living in the UK to assist in establishing a charity. Over the years with so much discussion and attempts it finally came into fruition after a group of committed PNG nationals and individuals with interests in PNG finalised the constitution and registration was granted by the Charity Commission in December 2011.
The word 'wantok' comes from Tok Pisin, an English-based creole language widely spoken throughout PNG. It translates as 'friend, close friend or mate'.
Depicting a lady with a string bag on her head, our logo represents the universal support we provide to PNG citizens. The string bang is an iconic PNG symbol, used throughout the country for a range of purposes, including carrying babies and infants.
Papua New Guinea is located in the south-west region of the Pacific Basin and lies to the north of Australia. The largest nation in the Pacific, it has a land area of 461,690 square kilometres, a mixture of extensive mountain ranges, tropical rainforests, savannah grass plains, major rivers and deltas, swamps and lagoons. The country has a population of approximately 6.5 million people (2007) and this is expected to rise to 18 million by 2050. 87% of the population live in rural areas, many of which are inaccessible by road.