My Journey with Toastmasters.

As Jay Leno quipped, “I guess we’d rather be in the casket than delivering the eulogy”. The Book of Lists reports Public Speaking as one of people’s greatest fears, and unless you have a platform like Toastmasters where you can polish and familiarize yourself with speaking before an audience, some people die without overcoming that fear.

I officially joined Toastmasters in Uganda in September 2018,although I'd first heard about it from a close friend called Florence Katono in June 2017. I immediately picked interest because I am a storyteller, occasional writer, and a Public Relations practitioner. A platform that offered me an opportunity to overcome my anxiety every time I have to speak in public piqued my interest and and I just had to visit one Toastmasters Club.

When I first visited Bukoto Toastmasters Club last year, I had fairly great expectations from the meeting but I was mesmerized.The meeting was remarkable!

Beverley Nambozo Nsengiyunva,the President at that time, amazed me with her accentuation and pronunciation of words,grace and poise during her brief opening and welcome to the guests.I could not help but ponder "had Beverley mastered the whole dictionary?" With her opening,I immediately purposed to improve my grammar,if I had a shot at becoming even half as good as her.

Connie Nshemereirwe,the Vice President Education,Bukoto Toastmasters Club delivered an exceptionally descriptive speech.Doreen,the Toastmaster of the evening effectively applied the pause to keep the audience listening in.She had evidently prepared for the evening with poems,quotes and examples of how the evening's theme related to her life. 

I became a regular guest at the club and also visited other clubs before joining Toastmasters. The role execution and articulate presentations and speeches had me at every turn. Some people were actually confused as to whether I was a member or a guest because of my regular appearances. I was a guest who always invited other guests along because I wanted everyone to experience toastmasters first hand.

My confidence as a speaker has improved and so have my leadership skills. The day I joined Toastmasters, I was the best speaker during the Table topics session. In this session, one delivers an impromptu speech on any given topic. In the following meeting, I had a role to take on and that helped me practice my skills right away. Toastmasters can lead you from being a virtual non-speaker to a confident presenter, in an enjoyable way. You are constantly surrounded with a supportive system, there is room to err and learn, great feedback and above all, people who are passionate about seeing you grow in public speaking and leadership.

It took me a month to prepare for my Icebreaker speech, a few days to write it and endured a nerve wracking forty minutes in the meeting, awaiting feedback from my evaluator. Fortunately, it was excellent feedback. Toastmasters has helped me learn how to give feedback in life.We do not always have to focus on the negative-complement someone and thereafter cite the shortfalls that one should strive to improve. It boosts confidence and makes everyone open to accepting and incorporating feedback.

Toastmasters is a great place to learn but it requires passion to pave one's own way and blossom at one's own pace. I have therefore taken to getting comfortable with accepting challenging roles and most importantly having fun while at it-because fun makes learning fantastic.

You can visit any of the 5 Toastmasters Clubs in Uganda-Bukoto, Kampala,Muyenga, Ntinda and Lubowa and get first hand experience.

In fact, you can visit Ntinda Toastmasters Club this Thursday 13th December at 6:30pm at Greens and More African Restaurant (behind DFCU bank Ntinda). 

I cannot obviously fail to mention that Bukoto Toastmasters Club will meet next Tuesday 19th December at 6:30pm at Naguru Skyz Hotel.That should get you started.

Well,will you take the leap and try out a Toastmasters club near you? At a guest fee of only 5,000 shillings? Where's the harm in trying out something new?

Viola Nakiggwe

Member, Bukoto Toastmasters Club