Released on: February 19, 2008, 8:02 pm

Press Release Author: Lyn Thomas

Industry: Education

Press Release Summary: The recent cyclone Fuma that battered the far northern part
of Vanuatu in the South Pacific, damaged an already hurting section of the
community, the schools.

Press Release Body:
It is the beginning of the school year in Vanuatu. What little supplies these school
had, are now gone, thanks to cyclone Fuma.

Teachers are frustrated in their attempts to assist the students.

"Windows were smashed in the school room in the recent cyclone Fuma. Badly needed
exercise books and very limited school supplies were destroyed in the driving
rains," the secretary of the Banks area, Mr. Harris Apos said.

The far north of Vanuatu is a place where pencils are cut in three to give students
something to write with and one exercise book used between several students.

"It is hard enough to teach with what little we have, now we have even less,"
Arthur, one of the devastated primary school teachers said. "Pens, pencils and
rulers, chalk, blackboard paint, reference books and above all else exercise books,
are desperately needed."

\"We give very little assistance to these distant areas.\" The Prime Minister Mr.
Lini, admitted during a recent visit to the area.

"It is hard to believe in the 21st century that we still have pockets of areas where
school supplies are limited and children will never receive a high school
education," said Rick Tendys, current owner of Seachange Lodge, in Port Vila. Guests
from the lodge have been assisting the Tendys to send school supplies to the
northern communities since 2004.

A request for help has been placed in the local papers, in an effort to get some
supplies to the schools for the beginning of the new school year.

Vanuatu may be a tax-haven for investors, but it is a backwater when it comes to
education. There is no money available to put into the education system and many of
the younger generation of these far flung communities will never leave their
village, let alone gain a high school education.

"We are so grateful for charities like YouMe Support Foundation who are aware of our
situation and are doing something about it," Mr. Apos, the Area Secretary said.

YouMe Support Foundation is partnering with winaresort.com in giving away a South
Pacific island resort, to provide non-repayable higher education grants for these
geographically and financially underprivileged children.

Anything the wider community can do to invest in these children lives is a
investment in the future.


Web Site: http://youmesupport.org

Contact Details: YouMe Support Foundation, (http://youmesupport.org) in partnership
with winaresort.com (http://winaresort.com ) is offering a unique, world first
raffle of a South Pacific resort, Seachange Lodge, (http://seachangelodge.com).
YouMe Support Foundation provides non-repayable higher-education grants for
geographically and financially underprivileged children.
Wendy Stenberg-Tendys
Captain Cook Avenue, Port Vila.
P.O. Box 5101, Port Vila, Vanuatu.
Phone (678)26551
email: admin@youmesupport.org