"A call on the conscience of the
world to act."

- Tony Blair,
Prime Minister,
UK (2003),
Rhodes Scholars
Reunion, Oxford University

Here are just some of the impacts, statistics and stories which illustrate the profound impct
WHY WAIT? training is having upon students AND teachers in Malawi and in other countries.

Teacher and Student Impacts:

1. The WHY WAIT? training changes teachers. Many come to realize for the first time that they are made in God's image and therefore "nobody is a nobody". Their improved self-esteem immediately leads to better teaching, not just of the WHY WAIT? curriculum, but for all their subjects.
   
   
2. Teachers who have been trained in WHY WAIT? are more willing to go for Voluntary Counseling and HIV/AIDS Testing, so as to know their HIV sero-status. Once they know their status, the government has instituted a program to get them on ARVs as soon as they need to, and to give them nutritional support. That way, they can continue working for a good deal longer, serving to reduce the high pupil/teacher ratio.
   
   
3. Several teachers have started the the teacher training workshops with bad behavior, e.g. on at least three occasions, teachers have arrived on the first day actually drunk. Without exception, these teachers have changed their behavior permanently. At least one teacher stopped smoking by the end of the week-long workshop.
   
   
4. Teachers NOT trained by WHY WAIT? comment on the change in their fellow teachers who have been trained, and express the desire to receive training themselves.
   
   
5. Students enjoy the lessons so much that, if their teacher is off sick, they come to the staff room and ask their WHY WAIT? teacher to come and give them an extra lesson.
   
   
6. Because of the WHY WAIT? training, more girls are choosing to stay in school, rather than leave school to get married early. Schools are reporting a reduction in the number dropping out to get married.
   
   
7. There's also a drop in the number of teen pregnancies.
   Here's a carefully documented six-year case study at the Ndirande Full Primary School.

Interviews with Ndirande Full Primary School Teachers

• Headmaster, Francis Manjanja: Trained at BTTC, 1978-80. Always taught Std 8. Taught at 4 schools before being posted to Ndirande as Headmaster on 17 September 1998. First trained as WHY WAIT? teacher in 1994. Subsequently trained as trainer.
• Trained at St Joseph’s, Bembeke. Started teaching 1976. Taught at 9 schools before coming to Ndirande in 1999. Has taught mostly Stds 5-8, needlecraft. WHY WAIT? trained in 2001. Teaches WHY WAIT? in Stds 5-8, in Std 7 as class, in Stds 5-8 as club.
  Examples of pupils changed: Boy, Std 6, 2002 - regularly missing school before 2002; after one term, changed completely. Girl, Std 6, 2002 - often missed school before 2002; Within one term, changed completely.
• Mrs Anastasia Mkutu (nee Kantiki): Trained at BTTC, cohort 7, 2001-02. Started teaching in 1996. Came to Ndirande 1998. Has taught Stds 1-4. WHY WAIT? trained in 2001. Teaches Mailbox Club one a week.
  Examples of pupils changed: Boy, Std 2, 2004 - beating girls and missing classes; changed after one term. Girl, Std 2, 2004 - refused to share food. Changed in course of year.