The strength of community in a developing country such as PNG provides a telling contrast to the frayed neighborhoods in much of America. We often get so caught up in building up wealth and status that we forget about building relationships. People need community. In PNG, mutual dependence bonds people. Neighborhoods are strong.
People know each other so well, parents can identify their kids' footprints.
Much importance is given to taking care of each other. Wantoks help each other build a home. Wantoks take care of their relatives as they grow older. The wantok system is so strong there's no concept of an orphan. PNG society works because wantoks make strong commitments to their communities.