"How Lucky I Am" inside the 20-Year Journey of a Toastmasters Veteran

I don't remember a single challenge, but it was my dear friend, Samri who introduced me to Toastmasters. She invited me to join her. At that time, the club met at the Ghion Hotel. What surprised me upon arrival was the caliber of people in that particular room, high-level individuals such as Alula Pankhurst and the legendary Maître Artist Afework Tekle.

Well, I remember the confidence in the room and the quality of the speeches. There were high-profile individuals, and I found myself asking: Do I really belong here? As a first-time guest, I was there to observe, and what I observed was a meeting that was exceptionally structed, formal, and conducted with great mutual respect. There were also foreign members in attendance. People told me the history of Toastmasters, its benefits, and the stories of its prominent members such as Maître Artist Afework Tekle, who was the first Distinguished Toastmaster in Ethiopia.

Alula Pankhurst, there is no doubt. He delivered a simple speech, then I said, Wow. He really made a huge impression on me because of his gift for storytelling and simplicity. He delivers complex ideas very simply. I have always held a deep admiration for Alula.

I would say it has become less formal. The foundational structure remains universal because Toastmasters is an institution with a standing structure that you cannot simply change. However, people have modified certain elements to suit their needs. What has changed now is the energy that young people has brought. They bring great dynamism. Twenty years ago, most members were accomplished professionals in their forties, fifties, and even sixties. Young people were a rarity.

The learning path has also changed. it used to be Legacy manual which has now been replaced by Toastmasters Pathway or Competent Communication Manual. The other important change is the formality - Toastmasters was very formal - even when we present a speech, we are expected to have formal attire, appearance was one criterion for evaluation.

Honestly, I do not miss much because I am still active. If I am being honest, I dislike snapping, especially during the Word of the Day. It irritates me. I like toastmasters when it is formal. If I had the authority, I would stop it.

That is a wonderful question. I think email existed, though the internet was far less developed than it is today. Communication required more effort; we relied heavily on email and phone calls. Friends would remind one another by calling.

It depends on what measure you use. In terms of the number of clubs, it has grown remarkably. Years ago, there were only two or three active clubs in Addis Ababa: Jupiter, Blue Nile, and Imperial. Today we have many: Habesha, Radisson, and others.

In terms of quality, however, I have concerns. I see a tendency to push members to advance through levels and accumulate titles, rather than to pursue genuine excellence. Members attend meetings online, deliver speeches, accumulate credits, and advance from level to level without truly developing their skills. I have also had issues with evaluators who evaluate for evaluation’s sake rather than a tool for meaningful, constructive feedback.

First and foremost, without even talking about leadership skills, being an effective communicator is itself one of the most essential qualities of a good leader. The moment you can articulate your thoughts in a concise, precise, and focused manner, you have acquired invaluable qualities of a leader.

Beyond communication, the roles themselves cultivate leadership. Take the General Evaluator role for example, you are responsible for summarizing the entire meeting, identifying areas for improvement, and delivering feedback. That requires focus, judgment, and the ability to hold a room accountable. Every role in Toastmasters, when taken seriously, builds those leadership muscles.

I would say communication, organization, time management.

Toastmasters has given me two extraordinary gifts. The first is perspective. Where else can you hear ten, fifteen, or twenty different viewpoints on a single issue? Think about just the theme topic: the same prompt can generate twenty-five different responses. It's rare that people repeat what others have said. The second gift is mentorship. Where else would you get so willing young people who would like to get feedback and get mentorship to excel?

Toastmasters gives me a platform to mentor young people: to see them flourish, shine, and step into their potential. And here is the beautiful paradox: even as a mentor, you learn. Every mentee teaches you something.

I could name many because most of my mentees have become shining stars in their own right. Let me share three stories with you:

The first one was a young woman who had studied architecture and was working at an architectural firm. One day, after close observation of her qualities, I told her candidly: Architecture is not your calling. Your true gift is communication. She refused at first. After several conversations, she reconsidered. Today, she leads communications at a known corporation, and her income has grown exponentially.

The second one was extremely shy when she first walked into Toastmasters. Through mentorship, she found her footing, gradually, then decisively. She eventually started her own business, one that requires her to present and pitch constantly. She is doing very well now.

The third story is perhaps the most memorable. A young woman from Blue Nile was preparing for a speech contest when, at the last minute, she said she wanted to withdraw due to health issues. I asked her to wait before notifying the organizers. The contest was on Saturday and by Friday, she told me she was feeling better but not prepared. I asked her one question: Why are you competing? She said she wanted to compete. I told her: “Then don't compete. You go to win”. We sat down together, worked to sharpen her speech. She presented it on Saturday and she won the competition.

Honestly, the first and perhaps the greatest is seeing young people flourish. When a mentee comes and says, I was promoted because I learned to speak, or Toastmasters changed my life, that I think is the rewarding experience.

The quality of speeches, the quality of evaluations, and more formal, better-organized meetings. Those three.

I recently heard a journalist deliver a commencement speech to university graduates in which earlier speakers who mentioned artificial intelligence were actually booed by the audience. That told me something important. The very interesting thing about technology, under no conditions, will never and ever replace humans. You can be corrected by AI. You can study great speakers on YouTube. These tools have value, but when used with intention and in proportion. None of them can replace what happens in a Toastmasters room. When a person looks you in the eyes and delivers an evaluation crafted specifically for you, that moment cannot be digitized.

And there is something else: the network. Toastmasters connects you with people from different walks of life, different stages of their careers. That is not something an algorithm can offer.

First and foremost, be your authentic self.

Second, make the speech your own. Tell stories. Don't try to tell us jargon or borrowed wisdom. Your stories are unique. Nobody knows about your stories.

Well, honestly, I'm so happy to have been recognized. But if I am being honest, it feels so natural. When you spend 20 years in a club, develop friends, invest in young people, develop yourself, it becomes part of who you are. I really love my club, if I'm not in Addis, and I miss meetings. I miss so much going to the toastmasters – I miss my kids and my friends. I call my mentees my kids.

The first was delivered by Feven who now works for World Bank in the U.S. Her speech was titled "I Was Alone, But Not Lonely." It was about her experience of living abroad, far from everything familiar, and discovering that she was her own best companion. The speech was deeply personal, but powerful, and it stayed with me long after she left the stage.

The second was by Ethiopia, one of my favorite speakers in the club. I had the privilege of evaluating Ethiopia that day. She spoke about living life to the fullest, using the metaphor of Nutella scraped clean to the very last bit as her central metaphor, the way our mothers never wasted a drop. It was vivid, warm, and entirely original. Ethiopia later delivered the speech in international competition.

My wish, and perhaps my wish not a vision is that Toastmasters becomes more accessible. That it reaches more young Ethiopians and gives them the tools to become better versions of themselves.

I would say “How lucky I am?” I have been fortunate to walk alongside these extraordinary young people, learn from them, and contribute to their journeys. That is the truest way to describe it.