Our vision is for all people of the coastal communities in Papua New Guinea to have access to sanitary toilets and clean drinking water.
These systems will enable the local communities to support additional tourism and stimulate economic growth.
The inspiration for Walu International began when founder Zack Parker traveled to Lido, Papua New Guinea on a surf trip in November of 2007. Zack and his best friend Taylor, whom he was traveling with, had no way of contacting anyone in the village prior to their arrival and so arrived unannounced. They were greeted warmly and immediately brought into the home of a kind family. For a small fee the family provided them with food, laundry, and shelter. Zack and Taylor were the only tourists in Lido for the next 5 weeks...
Throughout their stay, Zack was struck by Papua New Guinea's natural beauty and the extreme generosity and kindness of the native people. However, he was also dismayed by the lack of sanitation and prevalence of illness. People were sick, children were dying, and the community had no means by which to better their troubling situation. The villagers drank stagnant rainwater out of large, open containers, and used the beach as their toilet. This same beach was where the children played and the women fished. Zack and Taylor were originally in search of perfect and isolated surf, but ended up finding an impoverished village greatly in need of help and guidance.
Safe drinking water and sanitary toilets is something that we often take for granted in the developed world. Growing up Zack's brother was unable to pronounce the word "water", so instead he used the word "walu". From that day forward, when Zack and his brother were thirsty their mother would ask "would you like a glass of walu?" Walu International was created to provide the people in need in the coastal communities of Papua New Guinea with life’s basic necessities. One of Walu International's goals is to ensure that the parents in Papua New Guinea have the opportunity to ask their children, "Would you like a glass of walu?"
Walu International's was incorporated in October 2009. Walu International is a non-profit charitable organization whose 501(c)3 tax-exempt status is currently pending.
