The Speech Contest That Bedazzled Everyone

  Thursday 17 November was the day East Africa stood still. Uganda's greatest public speakers assembled for the annual speech contest. Organised by Kampala Toastmasters Club and Bukoto Toastmasters Club, it was an energized three hours of the best of prose and perfection. The contestants and judges will testify below. All photo credits/Dilman Dila

  Paul Kavuma, 2016 winner of annual speech contest

Everything that transpired at the Public Speaking Contest event was worth celebrating. However, this is what stood out for me.

First of all, I have been to events where one arrives thirty minutes late and they are still too early for the occasion.

This year’s Toastmasters Speech Contest was nothing like that. The event started on time. This allowed everything else to fall into place following the event’s program. Secondly, there was a warm welcome at the reception desk. As a participant in the speech contest, there’s that feeling of nervousness that took its toll on me the moment I arrived at Protea Hotel that evening. The smiles and greetings that were exchanged at the reception desk of the event helped to calm down my nerves. Everyone in the room was smiling, happy and jolly from the time the event started till the time I left during the cocktail session. This reminded me of how lucky I was to associate with the awesome members of Kampala Toastmasters Club.

Last and definitely not least was the glamorous decoration and dress-code. The theme of the day was Nobility and changing the Status- quo. And it was clear that people’s dress code changed the Status-Quo of this Annual public Speaking Contest.

Next year, I look forward to a bigger crowd because the relevance of public speaking needs to be appreciated by everyone.

Florence Katono, contestant

It’s been days after the event but the speeches continue to play in my mind. I concur with you, these guys are great orators. (may I ask that the speeches be uploaded on our page).

Behind the scenes, I attempted to write my speech 3 times. I got emotional the first time as I did the third. Then I wrote to my mentor and told her that I was pulling out of the contest because I couldn't deliver the speech. My emotions overpowered me. Connie,( I am certain you all know how firm she is). wrote back and said "if a speech makes you emotional, then that's the one you should give." We worked through it together and the rest is good history. 

I am happy to say as I told God that day that may the purpose for which I speak give me the courage to face my fears. At the end of the event, some ladies walked up to me and said I had shared a story similar to their own. I particularly recall a single mum of 4 who shared her own with me. I was, still is deeply humbled that we can be the healing for each other.

I am so grateful to my fellow contestants who exuded such talent that even I didn't want to be in the place of the judges; well at least not that evening.

The organizers for the selflessness. A successful event isn't measured by decoration or drinks, it is measured by the Woooow feeling to those who attended.

I am still wooooowed and dazzled.

Gilbert Rutebemberwa, contestant

  What moved me was the level of publicity and  attendance. This implied that we have the potential to grow the club and reach more people.

I look forward to many people joining the club to learn and grow themselves. I hope we can make it even bigger next year.

I thoroughly enjoyed participating as a contestant and encourage others to participate because I gained a lot in terms of communication and leadership and it’s a great investment.

STEPHANO KIYEMBA, contestant

I was overwhelmed by the great numbers that attended the event. This was very relieving as the card sales were less than 50% of our target, with a week to the event. Surprisingly many guests who paid the attendance made up for the gap.

  What do you want for next year? 

We need to find a way of bringing more corporate sponsors on board as that is a sure strategy to win over some of their employees.

President Lynda Nabayiinda

1.  What wowed you about the event?

The turn up was great. It significantly exceeded my expectations. Couldn't resist looking at the back of the room as the hotel staff kept bringing in more chairs. I was also wowed by how far one can go if they are determined to achieve their goals, listening to Richard Byarugaba's speech about his career journey from a cash teller in the bank to now MD of the National social Security Fund.

2. What do you look forward to next year?

I look forward to a full day event with more categories of speakers; Younger 12-18 years and above 18 with contestants from more than one club in addition to more elimination rounds plus of course more international presence. I look forward to all the rich content from all the speeches we shall listen to.

Josh Tahinduka, 1Rwanda Toastmasters Club

Before I left for Kampala to attend the Toastmasters speech contest, I raised a close friend to say a temporary bye for I was going “abroad” and to the Pearl of Africa. On learning that I was taking late nigh bus he didn’t let me finish but chocked me with a plethora of stories about night robbery, sleeping drivers to mention but a few, Dan was on mission to protect me from harm that turned to be mission Impossible. Impossible simply because I knew that the Toastmasters experience was always worth it.

If anyone missed the contest, then there is a reason to regret. The well prepared humorous and educative speeches, a vibrant audience that seemed to have auditioned for healthy looks, happiness and their love for fun,the sophisticated MC and contest chair that had admirable ways of taking the house ablaze and different kinds of JOYS are some of the things one missed. The evening was such a reflection of Dr. Smedley’s (founder of Toastmasters International) perfect place for learning and growth when he said that “We learn best in our moments of enjoyment”

As Toastmasters are always obsessed with areas of improvement, I look forward to seeing Bukoto Toastmasters club alongside newly formed clubsin action just to spice the contest with a variety of speakers from different clubs.

I otherwise could not wait to reach the land of 1000 hills to meet my friend Dan in person so as to tell him that the risk of taking a night bus for Toastmasters was totally worth it.

Irene Naikaali, committee member

1. What wowed you about the event? 

I  was greatly inspired by the spirit of teamwork at KTM. The entire executive team including all the other role takers worked tirelessly as though they were preparing for the  their own wedding ceremony. I could sense it right away during the eve of the function that we were headed for success and indeed it was a great success!

2. What do you look forward to next year? 

I look forward joining the executive team of Kampala Toastmaster club at the next club elections. In this way I will be able to expand my leadership skills to new horizons. I also look forward to conquering my fears by taking part  in the 2017 annual speech contest.

Cissy Anyao, Timekeeper.

Anet Birungi, head usher

It was lovely being part of a grand gathering.  The high point for me of the Project November was the prominence of people involved and the wonderful function organization.  It was remarkable for its verve and professional quality!

It was exhilarating leading the guests as the Chief Usher!

I was over-awed at the way the Contest Chair did the introductions of the relevant persons; recapitulating the presentations with care; as well as vivaciously steering the meeting.

The Contest chair, Beverley Nambozo and Phillipa Nanyondo, who extended the Vote of Thanks to our Guest of Honour were fabulous in choice of words and expressions!  From their function roles, they exhibited excellent listening skills.

It was sensational listening to the contestants’ speeches and table topics.  Adroitness in presentation was exceptional:  The confidence, word play and composition of the stories took my breath away!

Beverley Nambozo, contest chair

Doreen Baingana, Chief judge

IRENE NAIKAALI DELIVERS A RESOUNDING PROJECT 2 SPEECH

"Thermostats and Thermometers"

St. Charles Lwanga Catholic Parish in Mutundwe held its annual day for the married congregants on 31^st July 2016. It was such a joyful event, graced by wives immaculately dawned in white "busutti" with yellow sashes. The men too graced the day with the symbolic leadership attire .the "Kanzus" with black coats. Who was fairest of them all? Isn’t a question I could easily answer, because the sea of couples seemed to have been matched in heaven. They were gorgeous!

The speeches were well prepared to suit the theme of the day which was “effective communication in homes: A key to national development."

Focusing on external appearances can be deceptive. We had a colorful function but there was serious tension that had built up over the last 2 weeks of preparations between the Parish executive committee members and the sub-parish representatives. Majority of the sub-parish representatives had failed to mobilize contributions from individual couples including themselves.

The sub-parish representatives failed to influence the sub parishioners as they did not lead by example. According to majority, the contribution of UGX 10,000/= required from each couple was considered exorbitant to spend on a church function!  This experience set me thinking deeply about the issue of personal influence. How do you build this quality as a leader? My reflections led me to think of a leader with personal influence as a thermostat as opposed to a thermometer.

When I used the term Personal Influence what does it mean to you?

In marketing language, Personal influence is the power of an individual or group to control the purchasing power or decisions of others.

 John Maxwell a leadership guru in his book entitled the 21 Irrefutable laws of Leadership states, “the true measure of leadership is influence – Nothing More, Nothing Less”

Personal influence is both internal and external. External personal influence involves social interactions between two or more persons such as husband and wife, Toastmasters and guests at a meeting for example, I invite at least 5 guests to our Toastmasters meetings with the aim of interesting them to join the Club. I use personal influence to prevail over them by colorfully presenting the benefits they could derive from the interactions with the members of the Club.

Personal influence can also be internal whereby the decisions one makes are influenced by mental processes that have to do with other people or groups. For example, a teenager may choose to smoke due to peer influence or pressure for acceptance by his or her peers. I will share with you another example. I confess that I devote much time to prepare my speeches so that I appear as eloquent and organized as other Toastmasters.

The foundation in both cases of personal influence is the degree of trust the people have in you. As a leader, without trust, the people you intend to influence may comply outwardly to your wishes when physically present but are much less likely to conform privately by adopting similar values, cultures and mission of the organization or group; just like in the case of sub-parishioners.

How can you build trust and increase your personal influence as a leader?

• Raise your hand! Yes, raise your hand to new opportunities for growth and projects that contribute to the growth of your group or organization. Be among those few people in your group or organization who have developed a reputation for volunteership. It is leaders like you with a volunteership spirit that raise their hands at any opportunity to be involved with something they think is important for the group. This gives you a chance to make connections and develop new and valuable skills that you in turn use to influence others to think differently.
• Groom other leaders, develop protégés, and mentor others to do what you do and to do it even better! President Theodore Roosevelt said that People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care! As a leader, make it your business to help other people grow and develop their skills. In this way you are planting seeds that will soon sprout and grow in ways beyond your imagination. If you want to grow your influence, focus on growing others and the influence will flow naturally. Just like respect, influence is earned! You got to invest time into building your personal influence.
• Become a navigator; “Anyone can steer the ship, but it takes a leader to chart the course” Before embarking on a journey of influence, a good leader goes  through a planning  process in order to give the trip the best chance of being a success. This process may include among others, drawing on past experiences, examining conditions before making commitment, listening to what others have to say and ensuring that conclusions represent both faith and facts.
• Join Toastmasters! At Toastmasters we learn the art of public speaking. Good public speaking skills allow you to convey your message in a clear and eloquent manner that allows it to come alive for your listeners. For example, as the head of fundraising, you might be tasked to communicate an idea to a potential funder who has limited knowledge about your field of expertise yet has the authority and funds to determine your next project. Your ineffectiveness to communicate the idea might cost your organization this huge grant.

A quick reminder about the 4 points to help you build trust and increase your influence as a leader; Raise your hand to new opportunities for growth, Groom other leaders,  become a navigator and join Toastmasters.

Think about the difference between a thermometer and thermostat, most leaders in many organsations including homes are thermometers. They can tell you what the temperature is .They understand the environment they are in. However, Influential persons are thermostats. They sense the temperature, and adjust accordingly. In other words they set the temperature and change the environment. These persons are the ones who influence their organizations day by day. Be a thermostat not a thermometer.

Irene Naikaali Ssentongo

CC2 speech

 We're holding our second annual speech contest on Thursday 17 November at Protea Hotel. Cards are on sale at 25,000/- Contact Serukwaya on +256 777 391277

Join our launch of the Bukoto Toastmasters Club on Tuesday 1st November at the Goethe Zentrum Library on Bukoto Street from 6:00pm. Call +256 751 703226

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How The Kavumas (not related), won the first ever Toastmasters Challenge

The premiere Toastmasters Challenge,  contest between poets and public speakers and curated by Beverley Nambozo Nsengiyunva,  was held during the #Babishai2016 Poetry Festival in Kampala in August .

Jordey Lonyo, contestant

The contestants,  four speakers from the Kampala Toastmasters Club and four poets, prepared for this challenge of a lifetime not knowing what was on the other side.
Phillip Matogo,  the most immodest,  hilarious and witty moderator in Kampala,  led us through the landscape of poets vs. public speakers,  the first ever challenge of its kind.

Phillip Matogo

With an audience weaving through highly tense moments,  biting their nails as one after the other contestant rose to present,  each of the three rounds of this challenge was mentally exhausting,  intellectually stimulating and entertaining too.

The first round left all of us on the edge of our seats and it took the judges a while before deliberating the two eliminated participants. Beatrice Lamwaka a Ugandan writer,   Tom Jalio previous Babishai poetry winner and Lekpele Nyamalon a poet from Liberia,  who judged the first round went through a painstaking process.

Connie Nshemereirwe, contestant

How The Kavumas (not related), won the first ever Toastmasters Challenge

With two eliminated,  three poets and three public speakers remained. The second round which required each contestant to use a prop was highly creative. From tree branches,  to ties and singing phones,  this round too brought out the best.

As with every competition,  there's always a winner.

Stephano Kiyemba

Davis Tashobya

Judge Beatrice Lamwaka receiving a certificate from Lynda Nabayiinda, Kampala Toastmasters President 

Paul Kavuma emerged the favourite of the Toastmasters who made it to the final round. Winnie Apio Kavuma, the love poet,  was the judge's favourite finalist too. Both bore eloquence,  appropriate language and imagery,  clever lines and unusual anecdotes.

In the final round,  the audience selected the topic which was water bottle. In her love poetry style,

Winnie manouevered her way into the audience's hearts with poise and surprising elements of spontaneity,  given she only had 2 minutes to prepare for such a bizarre topic,  Water bottle.
Paul Kavuma likewise elevated the meaning of public speaking with clever rhetoric and grace.
In the end,  the audience was left with the arduous task of voting for the winner.

Paul Kavuma, first runner-up

With a close 17 to 14 votes,  the love poet,  Winnie Apio Kavuma took the first ever Toastmasters Challenge trophy.
It was an evening of tremendous orature,  incredible talent and immensely creative dialogue.
Congratulations to Winnie and Paul who won dinner cards to the #Babishai2016 award-giving dinner and festival books of their choice.

Winnie Apio Kavuma (winner)

This Challenge, curated by Beverley Nambozo Nsengiyunva,  will be an annual event and if any Toastmasters club world-wide is interested in using the same for their events,  they should contact babishainiwe@babishainiwe.com

The Ball is in Your Court by Florence Katono

CCI Project

<The Ball is in Your Court>

by

<Florence Katono>

Thank you Toastmaster

Good evening Toastmasters and Guests

Impoverished, Nalwadda and Nakangu lamented about their worrisome condition. Their children wore tattered clothing and their diet was anything to be envied. To vanquish their repressive situation, they bore an idea to knit crotchets for sale. But that too required money! Between their brilliant idea and reality was only 1,000/=. Nalwadda said to Nakangu Tukozetutya? (What shall we do?) Nakangu responded katutandike, a word that has become my personal mantra and it means let’s get started.

Florence ,right

Ladies and Gentlemen, let’s get started!

Ó

The Birth Story

In the company of Auntie Margaret, mum sauntered to hospital on the eve of February 6. She delivered a baby girl who weighted about 3kgs. Dad a proud new father spread the news far and wide. He named her Florence after his sister Robinah Florence and Katono his father as is the norm in the Ganda culture. However, they encountered a problem, the discharge bill was a hefty 3,000/=, much higher than they had anticipated. If they had experienced that problem during this era, they would probably seek a presidential bail-out, but no, they had to solve it on their own.

Ó

Growing up

I fondly recall my early childhood as we grew up on a huge family estate surrounded by our close relations. Uncle Charles, Uncle Isaac, Jajja Nnalongo, my cousins; Jim, Sam, and Angella and my siblings; Happy, Polly, Noela and Hannington. It was the Katono dynasty!

Nature was our first teacher. We learned to tell time by the twittering of the birds in the skies; the moment we heard “mpaa abaana” (loosely translated as “give back my children”), we knew it was time to wake up, “chwi chwi chwi” by the afternoon weaver bird, and the croaks of the night frogs. In the evenings, we watched the orange sun sink into grandma’s garden. From the soils, we learned multiplication, when we sowed one cup of beans, we yielded five. We too learned the language of animals. Cows mooed for help but they made a special sound in acknowledgement of their masters.

Ó

1.     Schooling

Our schooling days were more fun; all children of the Katono dynast were ferried to Our Lady Nursery School in Uncle Isaac’s maroon Peugeot, Registration No: ‘UPE 439.’ He raced the engine and filled the air with of devil-dust-fog. He was the proud owner of the only car in Namumira village.  

Our parents struggled and sacrificed a lot to see us through school. Dad a civil servant only got his pay cheque months later and split until there was nothing left. Mum’s poor dressing was unexplainable at the time. Later, I was to understand that as a parent, her sacrifice is the reason; we have become responsible adults.

Ó

St. Agnes Naggalama

At the tender age of six, we were moved to boarding schools; Adjusting to boarding school life was difficult as visitation day which fell once a term.

At, St. Agnes, Naggalama, I attained the discipline of a catholic education. Sister Mary George guided my bible recitation. My favorite was the Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians. Towards P.L.E, dad visited and handed me a bank slip, an Oxford mathematical set and he said; “I have done my humble duty as a man is bound to do. The ball is in your court.”

Ó

Nabisunsa Girls’ School

I joined Nabisunsa Girls’ Secondary school that’s the closet I had been to Kampala City. While there, I learned new vocabulary; cornflakes, quencher, and tariata biscuits. They tasted different from our home-made delicacies. In A-Level, I contested for a leadership position. It was the first time I ever spoke to a gathering. That terrifying moment was my introduction to public speaking. I remembered the words of my father and I braved the stage like a hunter does a charged lion. Ironically, I served as a routine prefect in charge of electricity even when we didn’t enjoy the luxury of electricity back home.

Ó

2.     Makerere University Kampala

Towards final A-level exams, Dad said to me. ‘You are a peasants’ child. We have no money for private tuition. Your siblings must attend school too. This is the ball that will determine your future, kick it with all your might. Those words ignited a wild fire in my belly. I garnered a government scholarship at Makerere University where I earned my B.A Secretarial Studies and later MBA.

Ó

3.     Career Life

Having sprouted my career tendrils at NWSC, I applied to join the central bank. All 700 of us were subjected to oral and written interviews. When I saw my former school mates, and junior lecturers, I knew that my chances were very stim, if at all but again my father’s words echoed in mind. That ball has led me to serve the Bank of Uganda for the last seven years.

Ó

4.     Parenting

As a young woman, I met a tall-dark and handsome-as-I-like-them-man. We had two beautiful girls, Kemmie and Gabbie.

Ó

Conclusion/ Challenge

As I conclude, my father’s principal of the ball in the court resonates with Fredrick Douglas’s of self-made men? Who are those you may ask? They are men and women who owe little or nothing to birth, relationships, friendly surrounds, and wealth inheritance. They are architects of their own fortune.

In my humble opinion, to be self-made is to have a 3000 shilling baby transform into a first generation-central-bank-employee of the Katono dynasty!

To be self-made is when a child who read under the light of a kerosene lamp graduates with first class honors.

To be self-made is to raise children single-handed with oomph.

To be self-made is to know and appreciate that the ball is truly in your court.

The end

The Retreat that was....,

It had all the markings of what a good day ought to look like. It was a bright, sunny Saturday morning.., the birds were singing, the air was calm, a bit humid but serene and almost heaven-like. (yes, I have been there)  As a toastmaster heading out for a planned retreat in the leafy environs of Entebbe, I couldn’t have been happier for such beautiful weather.

We set off as planned from Nakumatt Oasis. I travelled with Gilbert, Florence, Connie, Doreen and Grace. The trip to Entebbe was punctuated by laughter, jokes, tall-tales if you may and all this ensured that we all caught a glimpse of the wonderful adventure that lay ahead. It is true what they say, time does fly pretty fast when you are having a good time., we barely noticed that it was midday by the time we got to Entebbe and had to rely on google maps and a few friendly strangers to find Entebbe’s best kept secret. It is indeed a secret because everyone we asked seemed to have no clue as to where we were headed and google maps wasn’t too sure either. It helped that I wasn’t driving and as such we had a sober driver and navigator who were both familiar with how to use google maps. Nevertheless we still had to ask two people, one of whom pointed us in the wrong direction, something I must say always happens whenever you are close to your destination. At about 12:22 we made it to the gate of the secret location that our dear Vice President of Public Relations who I prefer to call Bev-Li and you will see why later, had picked out for us. It is undoubtedly one of Entebbe’s well-guarded secrets. A cosy, little nook with a lavish compound, a gazebo an eating area, rooms for the weary and heavy-laden all nested in a natural green ambience.

                                                            'Secrets Guest House'

We got right into it the program for the day that included games, games and then some more games
.
We were asked to split into two teams, find a name for each and get right into the various activities of the day. My team was Team Kifeesi, a popular name in these parts that simply means those brazen enough to challenge the status quo, and the other team was Team Sambaza.,I have no clue what that means but you have to admit, it sounds like someone or something not too sure about where they are going.
                                         
                                                                  Bev-Li in Action

The first activity involved us writing down and reciting as many nursery rhymes as we could possibly remember in as many languages as we know. This was a real, herculean task considering that half the members didn’t attend any kindergarten schools but what really helped was that most of them had children in kindergarten and it was a real joy listening to the melodious sounds from both camps. They were French rhymes, Luganda rhymes, Runyakitara rhymes and because you couldn’t recite a song that had already been performed by the other team, it was sheer laughter and comic relief when both teams had to turn to the school anthem, the Buganda anthem and the national anthem as the game carried on almost an hour later after it had started.

                                          Team Sambaza reciting ''Ekibobo kiri Munyumba''

                                          Team Kifeesi reciting ''Baa-baa Black Sheep''

It was a riveting experience and we all learnt how creative and imaginative we can get when our competitive nature is put to the test.

Next up was lunch which was a sumptuous serving of culinary happiness. We ate to our fill and talked just about everything and anything under the sun.

After lunch, some members could hardly move to save their lives but the activities had to go on.

We started off with ball games that had us running helter-skleter as we tried our best to shake off the sumptuous meal we had just had.

                                              We do our best to eat healthy,you know!

After lunch, some members could hardly move to save their lives but the activities had to go on.

We started off with ball games that had us running helter-skleter as we tried our best to shake off the sumptuous meal we had just had.

                                              Stephen, reliving his glorious football past.

We had balloons, three-legged races and what looked like volleyball, football and handball.

The main event in my opinion was the salsa dance. I had never seen a larger group of people more enthusiastic about putting the wrong foot first in one place before.

As is always the norm with dancing and all things musical.., some of the members wowed us with their movement, their stamina, their composure and balance.  I must say I was quite impressed by our resident salsa-trainer who as if on cue we call Steps. He led from the front and did a really good job, directing, swaying, instructing and generally showed us all what a real salsa workout looks like.

                                        Gilbert,trying to figure out which way clockwise is.

Panting and sweating, it was time to calm down and relax as we got off to some mental gymnastics.

Jackie started us off with a really interesting game called Pictionary where you pick a word and draw it in front of your team who in turn guess what the word is and then roll a dice to let you move forward on the board. This game had us all shouting ourselves silly as we tried to distract one another whilst making sure we get the image drawn right. It was funny, educative but most of all it required of us to play as a team and play we did.

                                                    

                                                      Calculus was on the menu too

Like any worthwhile event, there were gifts for the best team and the best players on each team. It is at this point that I have to admit that Team Sambaza won the day and deservedly so.

Bev-Li and Steps scooped individual awards for their brilliance and team ethic.

There was a special treat and surprise for me. After several years of un-paralleled service to the club (drum roll, anybody?) they decided that I needed a basin of my own, some pampers and wipes (just in case). This definitely caught me off-guard and I still can’t believe my luck.

 I am forever indebted to these kind souls for their generosity and well-intentioned humour. 

How they knew I needed a basin will forever remain a mystery to me.

We had a barbeque at the end of the evening and washed it down with laughter, conversation and some gin (…oops) story-telling is what I meant.


By Davis  Tashobya