Celebrating Women Leaders at Kampala Toastmaster Club - Linda Nabayinda (Club President 2016-2017)

My name is Linda Nabayinda – Kampala Toastmasters (KTM) Club President 2016-2017.

I joined Kampala Toastmasters Club (KTM) in August 2015 after receiving an email invite. All I wanted was to improve my public speaking because I realised the lack of good public speaking was a limitation to my career growth but the benefits of my decision are more than I bargained for.

To date, I tap myself on the shoulder for the decision I made two and a half years ago. Toastmasters has enabled me grow into a leader. I was privileged to serve as The Club President 2016-2017 and as the Vice President Public Relations 2015-2016.

During my tenure, the club membership grew by 25%. I also organised the team to participate in the Best of East Africa Speech Contest in Nairobi where we got semi-finalists from Uganda in both incidences while I was Vice President Public Relations and also while the Club President.

My former Managing Director with this awestruck expression said to me, “You have become a good communicator.” To me, that was an indication that my objective of joining Toastmasters was being met. Hearing those words from someone I held with high esteem boosted my self-confidence and also  translated into amazing results at work.

I have also learnt lots of great stuff from a team of like-minded people that value personal development. For example; I have been invited as guest speaker for events outside the Club and through Toastmasters I got a Mentor for a book I am currently writing.

My parting shot is from the famous Maya Angelou, “People can forget what you said, people can forget what you did but people can never forget how you made them feel.”  Bottom line is, always leave a good impact when you interact with everyone, make at least one person happy everyday.

Thanks Toastmasters.

Celebrating Women Leaders at Kampala Toastmaster Club - Dr Connie Nshemereirwe

Dr. Connie Nshemereirwe holds an Advanced Leader Bronze, an award given to Toastmasters that have completed a series of Toastmasters programs. With steady progress, she will be the first member in Uganda to become a Distinguished Toastmaster - the highest level one can get in Toastmasters as a Speaker and Leader. 

Dr Connie is a Civil Engineer turned Educator, a former Lecturer at the Uganda Martyrs University in Nkozi and currently working with Cavendish University. Despite all her educational accomplishments, Dr. Connie is described as young, vibrant, ever-smiling, jolly and an amiable lady.

This is her Toastmasters Journey.

I joined Toastmasters in October 2012 while in the Netherlands where I was pursuing my PhD. My first club was Twente Toastmasters where I was a member for two years. While at Twente Toastmasters Club, I completed my Competent Communications (CC) and Competent leadership (CL) Programs- A CC and CL is a program club members take on to become better leaders and communicators.

When I came back to Uganda I immediately joined the Kampala Toastmasters club. Toastmasters offers its members an opportunity to carry out practical leadership projects and as part of my advanced Leadership progress, I established the Nkozi Gavel Club (Gavel clubs are a way of providing the Toastmasters experience to groups who may be ineligible for regular membership due to age, inability to pay dues or other circumstances (https://www.toastmasters.org/membership/how-to-start-a-new-club/gavel-clubs) ) . As a club mentor, I also helped in the establishment of the Bukoto Toastmasters Club which meets at Skyz Hotel in Naguru. I am currently a member of the Bukoto Toastmasters Club where I am Vice President – Education.

As an educator, being a Toastmaster the last 5 and a half years has led to a lot of benefits, chief among which is improving my confidence in speaking both in prepared and impromptu situations. I have also had the opportunity to mentor many aspiring speakers as well as be mentored by many inspirational speakers and leaders.

Currently, I am on track to complete my advanced speaker bronze by June- this is the second level out of four needed to become a Distinguished Toastmaster- the highest distinction a Toastmaster can achieve. I will also achieve an Advanced Leader Silver by end of June and this is the last of three stages on the Leadership Track of Toastmasters.

All in all, I believe that Fortune favours the Bold but the bold should be prepared for the opportunities that present themselves, and improving one’s public speaking and leadership skills is an invaluable investment in oneself.

My message: Don’t be shy, take up those opportunities that will make you raise above the ordinary.

The Pleaser

ToastMasters Competent Communications Series 

Project 1 - The Ice Breaker Speech - by Tattu Nakanjako Tamale

Speech Title - THE PLEASER

You want it... if I have it or know where to get it... then I will give it to you!

5 years ago that was my anthem, I fought to please anyone and everyone, be it friends, family, workmates and even strangers. I didn’t care if I was happy as long as someone else thought I was good and entirely reliable. A good friend of mine Stella Katana (May her Soul Rest in Peace) once told me “Tattu, your biggest weakness is that you live to please others at your own expense”. I came to believe her years after her passing.

With family I strived to stand out, the one every person could run to for help whether financial or emotional support. I have five siblings and being the middle child, I strived to be the best, the one who lived to please others especially my parents. I ended up becoming a lawyer, a profession my father worshipped and always wished one of his children would pursue. My first brother ventured into tourism, my second brother became an architect and so I felt it was up to me to grant my father’s wish to have a lawyer in the family. I didn’t want to be a lawyer but I went through 4 years at Makerere Law School and one extremely draining year at Law Development Centre just to please my father. This, I believe explains why later in life I ended up working for National Planning Authority an organization whose main function is far from legal practice and why I ventured into a Master’s Programme in Business Administration rather than a Master of Laws.

At school I did what pleased my friends, I didn’t think twice to do anything as long as I felt that it would please a friend of mine, this got me into trouble a couple of times. I was in a Catholic school where you would be excused for committing any offense other than blasphemy! This was St. Joseph’s SSS Naggalama for my O’Level. We had crucifixes above each blackboard in every classroom, and one day, someone, I do not know to date, turned it upside down. I want you to imagine Jesus Christ on a cross facing upside down in a Catholic school! Everyone thought it was funny and I thought I would make it more fun, so I, the people pleaser gets chalk, I stand on a table and I write below the turned crucifix WE STRIVE FOR ‘SOLIDAR’ (am sure most of us here know the meaning of Solidar, you know, unity among a group/class of people).

What followed after that day, on top of receiving an unknown number of lashes, our entire class was cursed by the school Chaplain, I remember this moment vividly because it was end of third term and during the end of term mass as he was giving his final blessing this is what he said: “May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you, and to the class that turned the crucifix upside down, may you go home haunted, tormented and unsettled”. Two students were expelled that year for that incident and up to now, I do not know how I survived. This should have been my turning point but I didn’t take it.

University was not different, I moved into Africa Hall at Makerere University which had a different breed of people. For some reason, this Hall was reserved for ladies from Gayaza, Namagunga or Nabisunsa and I don’t know how I ended up there from Kawempe Muslim School were I completed my A ‘Level (That year we were only 2 students from Kawempe and the like schools to reside in that Hall). Now, these were a hard breed of people to please, they were more focused on their images, aura, how they carried themselves and the fellowships. I sought company from the neighbors at Mary Stuart where most of my former classmates resided and I embarked on a pleasing journey. I did everything you can think of a campus girl would do just to please other people.

My personal relationships were worse, I did what the other person wanted and not once did I do things for me, it was all about the happiness of someone else. I was miserable, the low self-esteem was eating me up. And then gradually I started realizing that all these people I fought to please didn’t make any effort to do the same for me, they just waited on me to please. It had to STOP!

Through a long process more like getting over an addiction I stopped being the pleaser. I lost so many friends in the long run but those that were genuine stayed (and if they had not come today they wouldn’t matter anymore), some family members became bitter because I was not gullible anymore but I don’t regret it. I was finally free.

Currently, I am considerate to myself, I do things only after weighing the benefits for me, I travel more whether with family or friends or even alone. I am building lasting and healthy relationships where I am a priority, I am more happy and confident.

And now, am here not to please any of you, but to please myself.

Tattu Nakanjako Tamale

Toastmaster and Lawyer

Grooming better leaders through Corporate Toastmaster Clubs

Ugandan Employers!

Do you envision your employees having the ability to effectively communicate and lead  irrespective of their position within the organisation? This is our topmost priority at Kampala Toastmasters Club.

Kampala Toastmasters Club is among the network of 350,000 Toastmaster International Clubs that provides extensive learning and development programs and resources to its members to enhance their leadership and communication skills. These skills not only benefit the individual but contribute to organisation growth and success as well. The Toastmasters experiential learning  program teaches employees how to;

• Conduct effective meetings
• practice time management
• enhance their listening skills
• sharpen their presentation skills
• boost team collaboration
• guide successful teams.

One way of  benefiting  from the above program is to start a Corporate Toastmasters club at your office for only staff. This is an effective and inexpensive way to develop, enhance and retain employees. We can support you  sponsor a corporate Toastmasters club for your company by providing all the necessary guidance, resources and mentorship. 

Please visit us at www.toastmasters.org for more detailed information about the Toastmasters program.

Looking forwards to hearing from you and advancing our discussion to start a corporate club for your company staff.

Sincerely,

Irene N. Ssentongo

(Vice President Membership)

Email:             kampalatoastmastersclub@gmail.com

Blog:               kampalatoastmasters.blogspot.com

Twitter:           @KampalaTM

Facebook:      Kampala Toastmasters Club

3rd charter Anniversary celebrations

A brief and Highlights

All photos by Neil Blazevic

The trivia session formed part of our 3rd charter anniversary meeting celebration. We had 2 speeches to show the guests what the club is about plus 2 evaluations and a Trivia session. This was relevant because as a club that boasts of communication and leadership development, one needs to be knowledgeable on small tit bits: Economics, About Uganda, Popular English phrases(to enrich vocabulary), general knowledge and stuff about toastmasters. These formed the different categories from which the trivia questions were derived. 

Example,

Who is the founder of Toastmasters?

When is the next  BOTEA convention?

It was a wonderful celebration.

Lynda Nabayiinda

Kampala Toastmasters Club celebrated its 3rd charter Anniversary on the 25th of April 2017 at the Protea Hotel Kampala. The event was well attended by a total of 47 guests including members of Nkozi gavel club and about 27 club members. The Toast master of the day was Paul Kavuma the winner of the 2016 KTM annual speech contest and the Word of the Day was ' Ostentatious".which means pretentious or showy display.

The major activities of the  day included  2 prepared speeches, a CC1 and CC4 speech by Richard Ssebagala and Steven Serukwaya respectively,  a Trivia session and finally cutting of cake and a tea party . The Trivia session was very participatory involving both guests and club members. Four groups participated in round one  which focused majorly on basic knowledge about Toastmasters and simple English phrases. Round two involved 3 groups with questions focusing on Uganda and general knowledge. Group 'B' emerged the winners of the Trivia session. These received a prize handed over by the president KTM. Soon after the Trivia session, the president KTM gave an overview of the Toast Masters program and invited all guests present to sign in as full members to continue their journey towards personal development. Later the immediate past president presented the Toastmasters promise and urged members to commit to it for a more rewarding experience with the program.

Finally, the anniversary cake was cut and participants were ushered to a tea party. The event ended at about 8.30pm

Congratulations!

Irene Naikaali

Thanks for a vibrant evening.
Follow us on Twitter @KampalaTM
Bukoto Toastmasters Club @BukotoTM1

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION- WHERE ARE WE?

“Whenever I think of the past, it brings back so many memories”.

This quote by Steven Wright an Oscar winning film producer resonates with my life when I look back at when I was 5 years of age.

One evening as I was taking my bath I suddenly I had commotion and noise from our front yard which was close to Kanjokya Street. A car had just knocked down my 3 year old brother and smashed his leg. That was the beginning of a different life for our family. Knowing and accepting that Eddie will forever be different from other children; will never participate in certain sports and forever use crutches to move.I have witnessed a 3 year old learn to walk again with the use of crutches. I have cried with him as his heart got broken from the teasing. To cut a long story short, my mother struggled and was determined that Eddie will learn to walk again without the use of crutches, and avoid a leg amputationso as to shun the discrimination of a society back then and today that seldom caters for Diversity and Inclusion of disabled persons.

Diversity and inclusion is all about understanding that we are all different and shouldfocus on the needs and right conditions of every individual are in place for each person to achieve their full potential.

The Persons with Disabilities (PWD)Act 2006 defines disability as “a substantial functional limitation of daily life activities caused by physical, mental or sensory impairment and environmental barriers resulting in limited participation”. That is persons with hearing & sight impairments, and the mentally challenged and physically handicapped.  

The National Population and Housing Census 2014 conducted by UBOSindicated that overall, for the population aged 5 years and above, disability prevalence was close to 14% which is 5million disabled persons in Uganda. Question is how we address the situation of including them in our social and economic livelihood.

Women and men with disabilities can and want to be productive members of society.

The Government of Uganda has adopted a number of laws and policies pertaining to people with disabilities, including their right to productive and decent work and basic services. The key ones are:

The Persons with Disabilities Act, 2006, also provides for a tax reduction of 15 per cent to private employers who employ ten or more persons with disabilities either as regular employees or apprentice on a full time basis.For example, BarclaysBank (U) Ltd approximately9 years ago had a sight impaired gentleman operating the switchboard. Uber a new taxi business in Uganda employs hearing impaired drivers. On 4^th April, a Facebook friend- Robert Sebunya attested to this through his experience of being driven by an uber driver who was hard of hearing. When he received the notification from Uber that he was being picked by a deaf driver…he almost cancelled the ride! I am sure most of us would be tempted to do the same. We are just not comfortable with dealing “challenging” situations.

In my personal experience, while I was still living with my parents, my mother hired a physically disabled house help. She moved with one hand supporting the Knee. We were quite uncomfortable around her for some time as we didn’t know how to behave around her;she proved to be one of the best house helps we have ever had[SK3] .

A number of laws have been put into place to cater for persons with disabilities

·         The Local Government Act, 1997, Parliamentary Elections Statute, 1996,

aims to increase the representation of disabled people in the public sphere. It provides for representation of disabled people at the various Local Council levels and in parliament respectively.  KCCA has 2 disabled councilors and there are five seats in Parliament for representatives of persons with disabilities.

·         The Traffic and Road Safety Act, 1998, prohibit denial of a driving permit on the basis ofDisability.

·         Uganda national currency has a braille feature for the blind which is commendable.

·         By the same token, Uganda National Examinations Board caters for students who are, sight and hearing impaired ordyslexic.  E.g.my nephew who is dyslexic was able to sit for his PLE exams last year with the support of an examiner who orally examined him and another who penned down his answers. 

·         THE KAMPALA CAPITAL CITYACT, 2010 in section 25 ensures that public buildings are[SK4] , "as far as practicable", accessible to persons with disabilities. All buildings constructed after that date, have to be brought into compliance with the ACT. All old buildings have up to 10 years within which to comply with the Act. For examplequite a number of government and public buildings do not have elevators or escalators. Some of the buildings have very narrow doors that cannot be accessed by those on wheel chairs.

Is there more the government can do? Yes of course.

ü  Access to Services:For example News broadcasts. Not all TV stations have sign language for those hard of hearing though it is available on the national broadcaster.

ü  Access to Information:Building catalogues. Do not have barille for the blind

ü  Access to Heritage Sites:Kasubi tombs, Murchison falls. Not accessible to the physically handicapped.

But What can you and I, do about ensuring decent work for people with disabilities to realize their aspirations and participate more actively in society?

·         Ensuring a disability perspective in all aspects of policy and labor legislation.

·         Effective enforcement of existing disability laws and policies and providing for equal employment opportunities

·         Include modules in schools on awareness of disability with the aim of appreciating diversity and inclusion of disabled persons.

Mahatma Gandhi said“It's the action, not the fruit of the action, that's important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there'll be any fruit. But that doesn't mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.”

LYNDA NABAYIINDA'S CC7 SPEECH

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Life of Gandhi-

I once came across a quote that read “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

Fellow toastmasters and guests, have you come alive?... or are you merely existing?

The day I read about the Life of Gandhi was the day I came alive.

The year was 1888 when Gandhi left Bombay and set sail for England to attend law school. Gandhi was 21 years of age that year and every passing day seemed to reaffirm his loss of bearing in life.

Gandhi’s three-year stay in England was disillusioning, eventful and insightful. It comprised of self discovery through a consistency in failure. While in England, Gandhi took up dancing lessons but soon gave it up as he had no sense of rhythm. He tried playing violin but failed. He was even too shy to make friends.

In spite of all these futile attempts at being an English man, Gandhi managed to pass his final exams and that was a great way of bidding farewell to England.

He returned to Bombay and his best friend failure followed him all the way. Gandhi opened up a Law practice in Bombay and failed to attract clients because he was too shy to speak up in court.

Put yourself  in Gandhi’s shoes … being looked at as a bad egg because everything you did turned out to be a wild-goose chase. I have been there. There was a time in my life when failure was loyal to me more than my shadow… because it followed me even in the dark…. to the extent that I would fail to sleep in the night.

We have all been there … disenchanted by life’s uncertainty. I believe the life of Gandhi teaches us three principles for overcoming failure in order to come alive.

The first principle is: being fearless.

When Gandhi’s Law Firm in Bombay failed, he took on an opportunity to work as a lawyer in South Africa. On his way to Pietermaritzburg, in South Africa, he was thrown off a train because even though he had a first class train ticket, Indians were not allowed to ride in first class. This unfair and unacceptable treatment on the train was Gandhi’s baptism of fire. It was through this pivotal encounter with racial segregation that Gandhi found his voice. He decided to face his fear and spend his next twenty years in South Africa using his words to unite Indian community in the fight against injustice. He won the fight and I attribute his victory to this principle of being fearless.

The second principle that we can learn from the life of Gandhi is: service above self.

When Gandhi returned to his native land, he started to fight for Indian Independence over British Rule. Through hard work, relentless self-sacrifice and prayer, Gandhi was able to orchestrate an agreement with the British  for an independent India in 1947. This brought him a lot of popularity, fame and admiration. He was given the name Mahatma which means ‘Great soul’.

Although he had secured freedom for India, he didn’t want to be carried off his feet. He wanted no role in the new government, no special treatment and no special reward. He preferred that  his image remains iconic of a man of straw; a man in an ordinary rob with a walking stick, a man whose only desire was to share his selfless love. Service above self was his creed. Service above self acknowledges that the fight for justice, human rights and unity need not be in exchange for extra ordinary recognition because it’s a duty we all owe to our human race.

Britain granted India its Independence on condition that the country was split into two dominions: India for the Hindus and Pakistan for the Moslems.

Gandhi strongly opposed this partition. Gandhi urged Hindus and Muslims to live peacefully together. Unfortunately, this effort to commune and communicate with Muslims angered the Hindu fanatic who shot and killed Gandhi during a prayer session. This sad incident explains the third and last principle… when your creed becomes your deed, when your doctrine becomes your doing and when your principle becomes your practice…  you should be ready to die for what you believe.

For it was Martin Luther King who said that if you haven’t found something worth dying for then you are not fit to live.  

CC4 SPEECH BY PAUL KAVUMA