Taking Up The Impossible Challenge

Posted on 08. Nov, 2009 by Stenberg-Tendys W.L. in Education, Promotion

All eyes are turning on the tiny South Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu, as Richard and Wendy Tendys take up the impossible challenge. They are host a Guinness World Record challenge on 19^th November, in Vanuatu, a tropical island nation in the South Pacific.

In order to raise awareness of the special education needs of the children of Vanuatu, the Tendys will bring together 820 senior high school children to challenge ‘How Many People to Write A Story in 24 Hours’.

Each student can only write one sentence each in a continuous story that will tell how two children, riding on a magic giant tortoise, will fly the length of Vanuatu, on a hunt for pieces of a treasure map. The story will be illustrated by Guy Deroin, (a local Ni-Vanuatu artist) and student teachers from VITE Teachers Training College will assist. The story will be published as a hard copy book.

On November 19^th, all the Tendys’ years of teaching experience will be put to the test, as the challenge is made more difficult by the fact that for the vast majority of the students will be writing in their third language (English). Vanuatu has approximately 156 separate languages, second only to the number in Papua New Guinea.

The Tendys retired’ to Vanuatu in 2004, after teaching English as a second language in Hong Kong. Instead of retiring the Tendys renovated a property and opened a boutique 6 roomed holiday accommodation, Seachange Lodge. Finding themselves quickly involved in a local community, they formed YouMe Support Foundation, to assist the local children gain a high school education.

Putting their ‘money where their mouth is’ they set about raffling Seachange Lodge on the Internet. For just $Au49 some lucky person will own the prime piece of water front real estate, Seachange Lodge, in December 2010.

As part of their ongoing programme, they came up with the idea of creating a Guinness World Challenge that would highlight the need of the local children. In Vanuatu there is no free or compulsory education. With no ‘social security system in place, many islanders are out of work and have no way of raising funds for educating their children. As Nelson Mandela said, ”The only way to make lasting change is through education.”

The Guinness World Record staff are happy to see a small South Pacific country make a world name for itself and are hoping the challenge will succeed. A Guinness World Record adjudicator will be present on the day, to present a framed certificate, if the record is broken. The current record was created in 2007, by an Austrian group, with 797 people participating.

Tags: Education, Guinness world record challenge, latest news, Nelson Mandella, tropical islands, Vanuatu, youme support foundation