BAHRAIN
EGYPT
IRAQ
KUWAIT
MEET THE TEAM CHIEF EDITOR
ALLEN PAUL
BRANDING
CHIEF DESIGNER
DESIGNER
SURAIYA NOOR FATHIMA
PRABODHA SARANGI
SANA FATIMA
COORDINATORS WRITER
TAWFIQ QADER
PRIYADARSHAN REDDY
FARIAH FATIMA
TABLE OF CONTENTS
3
Chief Editor's Address: District PR Manager
4
District Director's Vision
5
Program Quality Director's Address
7
Club Growth Director's Address
9
A Message from the District Admin Manager
11
District Finance Manger's Address
13
The International Director's Message
14
Meet District 20's Office
15
51
Meet The Divisions, Areas, and Clubs of District 20
History of Toastmasters in Bahrain
57 History of Toastmasters in Kuwait 60 History of Toastmasters in Egypt 61
History of Toastmasters in Iraq
63 DTAC 2021 : Bonds Beyond Borders 65 Marketing Events: Highlights 66 District 20's Social Media
CHIEF EDITOR
MESSAGE FROM DISTRICT PR MANAGER
ALLEN PAUL, DTM PEOPLE DON'T BUY PRODUCTS, THEY BUY RELATIONS & STORIES! Keeping our District's vision of spreading awareness this year, we had also organized many events to showcase how Toastmasters has helped us during these tough times.
As chief editor, I am proud to work on this newsletter where we are focusing on our member's and clubs. This newsletter will serve as a guide for any member or guest to know more about our District and our clubs.
Follow us on our social media channels to know more about the upcoming events. In our next edition we plan to highlight our events as well.
I would love to thank my team who worked tirelessly to design and coordinate with our members to collect pictures of our clubs to feature them in the newsletter. This has never be done before and I hope that this will serve as a guide for years to come. A special shout out to our District Admin Manager TM Biji Gittens for her tremondous support.
We would also love to welcome all ideas from our members in this effort to spread awareness. Here is to another year filled with lots more memories. 3
ALIFIYA LAKDAWALA, DTM Precious members of District 20, It gives me an immense pleasure to share this arena with you all in our district newsletter. We all have been through some challenging times but the beauty
DISTRICT DIRECTOR
VISION FOR DISTRICT NEWSLETTER 2021-2022 BY DISTRICT 20 DIRECTOR
is that we have adapted and accustomed to live to our true potential by taking up various post in toastmaster and serving our members. Our vision for this term is “Creating Awareness” A vision to make every member project their ability as a communicator and as a leader. This year media strategy is to have District 20 on every social media platform and have our toastmaster brand awareness. The district officers are actively participating in spreading the word -of- mouth concept, venturing into various social media platforms. LinkedIn, a never use platform attracts potential and professional guest to know more about
This year District 20 celebrates two more countries joining us and it gives me immense joy to see equal enthusiasm and participation from clubs of Egypt and Iraq along with Bahrain and Kuwait. The district PR team has supported me and empowered our clubs VPPRS in both languages English and Arabic, with the right education and tools to ensure each club in District 20 shines with quality. The various marketing events conducted gave District 20 an opportunity to be a part of paid adverts and eventually be a part of the SEO- Search Engine
toastmasters. It makes me happy to see few clubs who have adopted this as their best practice and started using LinkedIn. J When being tagged on posters I have received speaking engagement request. Some of our corporate clubs are formed through correct marketing and advertising. It just goes to show how powerful one channel can be. A huge shout out to the District PRM team and the Webmaster team for doing a fabulous job of
Optimization. District 20 is eventually going to be a part of a tournament and attract guest who enjoy a certain type of sports or profession. The seed of being brand conscious and knowing a toastmaster community on various social media is planted this year and I am confident that the
putting my words “Creating Awareness” to a reality. This newsletter is one of the humble gesture for making it Member centric. The various training, marketing events and the updated website is a cumulative effort of these talented leaders of our district. The success which we celebrate for our district 20, I owe it to these beautiful teams.
coming years will bear the fruit J To my precious members, take up roles in your club, learn, relearn and evolve. I wish to see every member of our district empowered with the right knowledge and be a better version of themselves. Let’s encourage others to join a community “Where Leaders are made” 4
PROGRAM QUALITY DIRECTOR
MESSAGE FROM PROGRAM QUALITY DIRECTOR
KHALID ABDULLA, DTM GREETINGS DISTRICT 20 LEADERS, How many of us remember our first visit to a Toastmasters club? That feeling which kept us engaged until we became Toastmasters. Thanks to our mentors who hand held us and showed us the way. That spark which ignited the power of learning. That power of learning kept us moving while exploring our hidden potential.
Reflecting on the current situation of the district, we are maintaining the overall pathways adoption rate of 84% which is a good thing but we are low on new Pathways adoption rate for new members which is only 47%. We need to focus on Pathways enrollment for new members to ensure they get the maximum benefit of their membership and for them to stay as Toastmasters in the district family.
Many of us unfortunately forget that initial feeling and started doing things on autopilot. Then all of a sudden the enjoyment fades away. 5
D20 newsletter 2021 | 4
47%
84%
Pathways DISTRICT 20 Adoption Rate
Pathways New members Adoption Rate
We have 51 clubs which are more than 4 DCPs but 24 of them are low in membership. We need to reach out to new members to bring these clubs into healthy state. “Leadership is not about you. It’s about investing in the growth of others” - Ken Blanchard
51 clubs with more than 4 DCP points who don't meet the minimum membership criteria 15
I’m here inviting you to go back to that first feeling and try to replicate that same experience of yours to new joiners.
10
When you see in the eyes of others what you saw yourself when you had the first moment of truth with Toastmasters, that same spark will reignite the flame of giving back.
13 clubs
5
We join Toastmasters to become better versions of ourselves. We stay in Toastmasters to enable others become better versions of themselves.
0
Happy new year District 20 Toastmasters family.
achieved atleast 5 DCP points
achieved atleast 7 DCP points
4
achieved atleast 9 DCP points
8 clubs
clubs Select President's Distinguished Distinguished Distinguished Clubs Clubs Clubs Based on clubs with minumum 20 members, as of Dec 2021
6
CLUB GROWTH DIRECTOR
MESSAGE FROM CLUB GROWTH DIRECTOR
KHALID JALAL, DTM We all have started our Toastmasters journey with some goal in mind – since it’s the start of this new year 2022, let’s review the achievements of the goals we had set for us. Let’s review and prioritize our goals for this year. Let this year be a “Dream Come True” of our goals in Toastmasters.
Its worth noting that the Club Growth Office this term has brought the largest club in terms of membership (KPMG Bahrain Toastmasters Club) with 75 members, breaking all the previous records in the District.
Record Breaking
District Club Growth Office is working on the set objectives for the term 2021-2022 and so far the office has contributed in Club Growth by adding 6 clubs and few more clubs are in the pipeline.
Largest Club in DISTRICT 20.
District 20 has already expanded geographically with the addition of Iraq and Egypt which has created more potential for Growth. Iraq has already started expansion by successfully reinstating a club and chartering a new club.
7
25
DISTRICT 20 Membership Growth
20
Dec 2021
15 10 5 0
24.3% 40 clubs added a min. of 4 new members
Membership DCP 1 achieved
added a min. of 8 new members
10% of clubs Both DCP achieved
+18%
427 New Members
Reviewing the Membership DCP as at December 2021, 40 clubs have successfully added minimum 4 and above members to their clubs which means 24.3% of clubs contribution towards the DCP. As far as both the membership DCP are concerned, 10% of the club have already achieved both the membership DCP which is a positive sign. I would like to thank all the clubs for their contributions.
Membership payment has increased to 44% as at December 2021 and with the remaining half of the term I am confident the target will be fully achieved. This credit entire goes to all the members of District 20 for their trust and continuity as members. Club Growth Office launched a campaign with clubs for achieving the SMEDLEY Award which was very successful and now the office requests all to target for Talk Up Toastmasters Award (Feb. 1 – March 31) and Beat the Clock Award (May 1 – June 30).
I am glad with the current progress and I am confident that the members of district 20 will continue the positive momentum for the success of members, clubs, area, division and district. I wish all district 20 members, a prosperous new year and looking forward to their support and contributions for the Club Growth office and district success.
8
44%
DISTRICT 20 Membership Payments Dec 2021
CLUB GROWTH DIRECTOR
District dashboard shows 427 new members this term which means there is 18.3% growth in terms of membership as at December 2021.
DISTRICT 20 ADMIN MANAGER
MESSAGE FROM OUR D20 ADMIN MANAGER
BIJI GITTENS A thousand miles to go…from the desk of D20 Admin Manager (2021-2022) With a little over than a decade experience in toastmasters, it may seem that I have not achieved enough, yes, but I say to you, that I do feel a sense of fulfillment and pride. The past year witnessed one of the most unprecedented times in history. With a blink of an eye, we as human beings and toastmasters, were put to the test, we had no choice but to adapt to a whole new reality, evolve and become who we are today. Indeed, a humbling lesson from nature.
This meant to prioritize my other toastmaster activities yet try to be everywhere. Thanks to the virtual platform, this worked out to my advantage. This new role also meant to refocus my thinking on a wider level, to ensure that I did justice to my new role. As a Training Coordinator, it gave me opportunities to connect with senior and new toastmasters, leaders I admired and looked up to and was able to be a part of their teams learning under their guidance and support. My greatest achievement was serving as the chief judge for the International and Table Topics contest at DTAC 2021. I was empowered as a person, as a leader.
As the VP Education of my home club, Mangaf Communicators, for the past 3 years, that meant putting my Toastmaster member experience on the back burner, it was not an easy nor pleasant experience, but it was worth it. It gave me the opportunity to connect with members on a personal level. I was focused and determined to do justice to my mentors who inspired me and the members who counted on me. When I was asked by IP PQD Alifiya Lakdawala in 2020 to be a part of her PQD team, I seized the opportunity and dreamed of the bigger picture.
The pandemic created a virtual platform for members to unite and every club member, club officer, district officer or as a toastmaster, you are expected to pick up the pieces and move on, the show must always go on, members must be happy and survive. Even though my mind and heart flinched when the now District Director asked me to take up the role of the Administration Manager, I did not back down, I was afraid, yet not afraid nor proud to ask for help.
9
My experience thus far has been timeless to me, as a member of the district office, you are more in tune with the functioning of the entire team, as long as you abide the core values of toastmasters, do a lot of reading (yes, the District Leadership Handbook, and resources from TI), you have the knowledge and the know how to perform your role. The most important attribute for a district officer is to have a humble attitude, and stay away from politics, it has only divided many united nations. ‘If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants’ (Isaac Newton) and I owe my success to many of you reading this article, you know who you are! Thank you for believing in me, encouraging me, and empowering me. When opportunity comes knocking your door, as Michelle Obama said, ‘Don’t be afraid, be focused, be determined, be hopeful, be empowered’
DISTRICT 20 ADMIN MANAGER
I believe that the universe bestows on you only what you can handle, and there was no looking back. The first three months was breaking the ice, like literally, there is an influx of information that you didn’t even know existed, it was interesting to learn and gradually get into the swing of things. I have to mention that I was a ‘baby’ taking ‘giant’ steps in this new world, but I was already in the midst of ‘giants’ who helped me through. Thereafter, you fall in sync, every day being a dynamic one. I find this role the most exciting, considering I do pursue an admin background professionally as well. However, this role taught me to continuously learn, research, keep myself updated of the events and happenings, shun out the negativities and focus on the positives.
DISTRICT 20 FINANCE MANAGER
MESSAGE FROM OUR D20 FINANCE MANAGER
SHABBIR KUTBUDDIN Attitude matters… Change the way you see it, what you see will change. Such is life. Your attitude decides what you see and feel. The pandemic allowed us to
The role was a challenge as I did not know the team, was away for 2 years from Toastmasters, and did not know much of the protocol. However, what I knew was
reflect on our attitude towards life. I have been a firm believer that one should live life as it offers itself.
that a finance officer needs the most is ethics and basic knowledge of budget and accounting. I had been Club Finance Manager for my home Club Kuwait Leaders Toastmasters, so I seized this as an opportunity to play a larger constructive role in the management and understand the values of Toastmasters more closely.
I was bit dormant in Toastmasters when an opportunity knocked on the door that of the District Finance Manager. It was the call from District Director Alifiya Lakdawala in September 2020 to be part of her team of the district officer. 11
Expect area and division directors to adhere to the reimbursement approvals and timeline protocol communicated. We seek to disburse the rightful amount at the earliest to the members.
mosquito because one simply put it on paper.
Toastmasters International (TI) has a very robust oversight mechanism on district finances and TI board authorizes to spend funds in the district on its behalf. The District Finance Office is committed to align the financial goals and strategies to the district mission, provide requisite transparency in its function, and be a partner to achieve district success plan.
As district finance faced challenges and the current district office desired to instill confidence of members in the process, we have tried to provide clarity on the reimbursement process, management of DTAC finance, and acceptable best practices by communicating them to relevant audience.
TO SUBMIT PROPOSED DESIGN : brand@toastmasters.org & trademarks@toastmasters.org FOR REIMBURSEMENT : dfm.district20@gmail.com
12
DISTRICT 20 FINANCE MANAGER
For instant de-confusion, put it on paper. As auditors, we like putting things on paper for clarity. Sometimes somethings appearing like a monster can turn out to be a
ALI SHAHBAZ ALI, DTM Firstly, all of us need to continue the process of thanking each other for serving and to make the community a better place by enhancing leadership and communication skills of the masses and help them transform. In this process of recognition and appreciation, we can dedicate ourselves sometime for quality evaluation of our roles and responsibilities. Few times, I witnessed our members evaluating Leader’s skills by a criteria form which doesn’t falls under the scope of the position being served. An Example: - Club Public Relations Officer takes the role of a Judge in many contests, he/she is the best Contest Chair and serves at many different contests. Now, does this fulfils the requirements for the PR position? Many of us
Serving in many areas is a great thing, but we should evaluate the role we need to play in
see, Presence as an ultimate thing and decide the officer is already fulfilling the main role for which the officer was appointed or elected.
our Current position, are we doing justice to it, are my other commitments taking me away from the main thing or simply my presence anywhere will be considered that I am fulfilling the scope of work for which I have been appointed or elected. Let’s continue to get more familiar with our roles
We need to understand The Scope of work and then decide if the officer is committed to the role. It’s fine to say Mr A or Madam B is a great human being, but when we declare someone as a good officer, it means we
and responsibilities and do justice to them, while time permits, feel free to serve more areas as a fellow member.
understand the officer displays commitment to that Scope of Responsibilities.
Explore you in your roles! Ali Shahbaz Ali International Director Toastmasters International
13
INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR
MESSAGE FROM INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR
DISTRICT 20 OFFICE
MEET OUR OFFICE DISTRICT 20 OFFICE
ALIFIYA LAKDAWALA
KHALID ABDULLAH DTM PROGRAM QUALITY DIRECTOR
DTM DISTRICT DIRECTOR
KHALID JALAL DTM CLUB GROWTH DIRECTOR
MOHAMED SALEEM ALLEN PAUL
DTM PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER
SHABBIR KUTBUDDIN BIJI GITTENS
TM ADMIN MANAGER
TM FINANCE MANAGER
DTM IMMEDIATE PAST DISTRICT DIRECTOR
YUNUS ABDULAAL
YASSER AL QASHAR TM LOGISTICS MANAGER
ASMAA AL ENEZI
FAISAL JAMEEL TM WEBMASTER
TM OFFICIAL TRANSLATOR
14
DTM HEAD OF ARABIC CLUB AFFAIRS
DIVISION A
DIVISION A DIVISION A
VISION AND OUR PROGRESS
Probably
the
most
well-known
benefits
of
Toastmasters program are significant personal and leadership growth. Division A toastmasters
M B REDDY
are having full potential to embark successfull journey by using this platform. Over the years we had seen emerging leaders from this Division A, reaching to the top in District 20 and one day they
DTM
certainly represent at the bigger stage at WCPS. Needless to say, the efforts are there from everyone to excel during this unprecedented times. Inclusive leadership played an important role to reach the objectives of Division A.
DIVISION A DIRECTOR
AREA DIRECTORS OF DIVISION A
ROMEO ARADO, TM
UNNI KRISHNAN, TM
AREA AREA 55
AREA AREA 8 8
DIRECTOR DIRECTOR
DIRECTOR DIRECTOR
MARIESETTE ORDANZA, TM
MAYA SHARMA, TM
AREA AREA 7 7
AREA AREA 6 6
DIRECTOR DIRECTOR
DIRECTOR DIRECTOR
15
DIVISION A CLUBS ERBIL INTERNATIONAL Van Royal Hotel, Iraq
@erbil_toastmasters
Toasmasterserbil
ADHARI Online, Bahrain
@adharitoastmastersclub adharitoastmasters
AWAL GULF
BAHRAIN SOCIETY OF ENGINEERS @enteremail
@bse.tmc
BSE, Juffair, Bahrain
16
awalgulf.com
@awalgulftmc
Online, Bahrain
awalgulf.toastmasters
DIVISION A CLUBS WIKA @wikatoastmastersclub @Wika-Toastmasters-Club-111163867920917 Online, Bahrain
ICAB icabtmcbahrain @gmail.com Online, Bahrain
@icabtoastmasters ICABTMC icab-toastmasters-club
PULSE Online, Bahrain
@pulsetoastmastersclub Pulse-Toastmasters-Club pulse-toastmasters-club
SANABIS Leaders institute, Bahrain
@stc_bh @stc.bh919
17
DIVISION A CLUBS DYNAMIC DEBATERS Online, Bahrain
@dynamic_debaters
C2A c2atmc.bah@gmail.com
@c2a_toastmasters
Online, Bahrain
@C2ATMC
PILIPINO SA BANSANG BAHRAIN Online, Bahrain
PBBToastmastersClub
MISK TM LADIES ARABIC misktoastmasterclub@gmail.com Online, Bahrain
MISK_TMC
Misk_club
AWESOME & INNOVATIVE MINDS Online, Bahrain
18
AFAEATToastmastersClubOfficialPage
VISION AND OUR PROGRESS
Growth in terms of membership and educational goals are two of the criteria through which the progress of a club/Area/Division is measured but there is no scale to measure the level and intensity of hard work and dedication behind any success. As Division B Director, I can feel and observe that the Leaders of this Division are very much enthusiastic to thrive without compromising the quality and protocols of Toastmasters international.
NAEEM YOUSUF DTM
DIVISION B DIRECTOR
AREA DIRECTORS OF DIVISION B
SIJO ANTONY, TM
MARATH RAVI, TM
AREA AREA 9 9 DIRECTOR DIRECTOR
AREA 12 12 AREA DIRECTOR DIRECTOR RASHID SHABBI RBUTT, TM
TERRILL THOMAS, TM
AREA AREA 11 11 DIRECTOR DIRECTOR
AREA 10 10 AREA DIRECTOR DIRECTOR
19
DIVISION B
DIVISION B DIVISION B
DIVISION B
CLUBS
ANGELS angelsbahrain @gmail.com
@angelstoastmasters
Online, Bahrain
Angels Toastmasters Club
Angel leaders angels.toastmastersclubs.org
BAHRAIN MEDICAL FRATERNITY Online, Bahrain
BahMedFratTM
WEST POINT HOME nybabar@gmail.com Online, Bahrain
PGF vpprpgftmc@gmail.com
@pgftoastmasters
Online, Bahrain
pgftoastmastersclub
20
DIVISION B
CLUBS CLUBS BAHRAIN ELOQUENT Online, Bahrain
@bet_bh betbahrain
TAMAYOUZ TM DEBATE tamayouz.bh@ gmail.com Online, Bahrain
@tamayouz.bh tamayouz.bh
BALOCH Online, Bahrain
@balochtoastmastersclub
BAHRAIN ADVANCED bahrainadvancedtm @gmail.com
@bahrainadvanced
Online, Bahrain
bahrainadvancedtoastmasters
BHAdvancedTM
SENTHAMIL SOLVENDHAR PERAVAI avmm64@gmail.com Online, Bahrain
21
DIVISION C
DIVISION C DIVISION C
VISION AND OUR PROGRESS
We the servant leaders of Division C are here to “Motivate to Elevate” to sustain by reforming, performing and transforming the division to greater heights by setting a certain benchmark in our services. The promises and challenges of Division C has live up to the expectations and briskly forging towards the goal of achieving the President’s Distinguish status. This year within a span of two months of inception two corporate clubs namely ACME and KPMG were introduced in the Division C having Chartered 75 members in all.
SUSHMITA RAO TM
DIVISION C DIRECTOR
It is a division with 100 % payments with No delay. A membership base of 360 members rose to 433 midway of term showing an increase of 12 % in new members. Needless to say it is the only division with 100% attendance in COT1 and COT2. Division C’s dream is becoming it’s goal with efficient effective action being taken toward it’s achievement.
AREA DIRECTORS OF DIVISION C
KAMAL SHEHABI, TM
VANDANA TM
AREA AREA 11 DIRECTOR DIRECTOR
AREA 4 4 AREA DIRECTOR DIRECTOR FAROOQ QUADIR, TM
AHMED ALBALOOSHI, TM
AREA 2 DIRECTOR
AREA AREA 33 DIRECTOR DIRECTOR 22
DIVISION C
CLUBS BAHRAIN ARABIC kamalalshehabi @gmail.com
@ba2012tc
Online, Bahrain
ALLIED BAHRAIN COMMUNICATORS vppr4795823@gmail.com
@abctmc
Online, Bahrain
abctmcbahrain abctmc
BAHRAIN IT PROFESSIONALS bitptmc@gmail.com
@bitptmc
Online, Bahrain
BITPTMC bahrain-it-professional @BITPTMC
BAHRAIN ELITE SPEAKERS ikhurram.salman @gmail.com
@speakatbest SpeakAtBEST
Fraser Suites, Bahrain
23
DIVISION C
CLUBS ACME Online, Bahrain
acme-toastmasters-club
BAHRAIN DISTINGUISHED mohd.jahangir2010 @gmail.com
@bahraindtm
Online, Bahrain
YOUNG ADULT young.adults.tm @gmail.com Online, Bahrain
SLCC @mohammedmanaaz11 @gmail.com
@slcctoastmasters
Online, Bahrain
24
@youngadulttoastmasters YATbh young-adult-toastmasters
DIVISION C
CLUBS TKS tkstoastmasters @gmail.com
@tkstoastmastersclub TKS-Toastmasters-CLUB
Online, Bahrain
BAHRAIN EDUCATORS tm.bh.educators@gmail.com
@bahrain_educators_tm
Online, Bahrain
BHEducatorsTM
KARNATAKA CLUB kctbahrain.pr @gmail.com Karnataka Social Club, Sheikh Isa Road, Bahrain
SRI LANKA CLUB SYMPOSIUM amandarabot @gmail.com Online, Bahrain
@slcs.toastmasters srilankaclubsymposium toastmasters
25
@kct_bahrain Karnataka Club Toastmasters
DIVISION C
CLUBS BAHRAIN HR PROFESSIONALS divu.rkk@gmail.com
@bhrptmc
Online, Bahrain
bahrain-hr-professionaltoastmasters
BAHRAIN DEBATERS vandana.b.v.m @gmail.com
@bahrain.debate. toastmasters
Online, Bahrain
BAHRAIN TELUGU SAMSKRITI vandana.b.v.m@gmail.com Online, Bahrain
26
DIVISION C
CLUBS VISION ADVANCED shubhashree.sundaram@gmail.com Online, Bahrain @VisionadvancedTM VisionadvancedTM
KPMG flenildsouza @kpmg.com
kpmg_bahrain
Sanabis, Bahrain
MANAMA mtm.club.official @gmail.com location
27
@manamatoastmasters manama.toastmasters
DIVISION D
DIVISION D DIVISION D
VISION AND OUR PROGRESS
SURESH BABU DTM
DIVISION D DIRECTOR
Aim for the moon, if you miss, you will land among the stars-said W. Clement Stone, American businessman and philanthropist. Our vision is to achieve Presidents Distinguished Division! With the support of our wonderful Area directors, we are marching towards it! Our club base is 15 as of now. With regards to DCP, 6 of our clubs already achieved distinguished status and 2 clubs are on the verge of achieving it. Other clubs are progressing well too.
In addition, we set our focus on forming new clubs and adding and retaining members. So far 9 clubs are with good membership strength of 20 and above. We are doing our best to strengthen the membership of clubs having less than 20 members. Events like YLP and Speech crafts were conducted by some clubs and other clubs are being encouraged to do the same. We are on the verge of forming a new language club also. Though things are not that easy in this difficult time, we get going as the saying “when the going gets tough the tough get going!
AREA DIRECTORS OF DIVISION D
SRINIVAS , DTM
OSSAMA JABRI, TM
AREA 16 16 AREA DIRECTOR DIRECTOR
SREEJITH RAJA, TM
ABDUL HADI ATTAR, DTM
AL
AREA AREA 13 13 DIRECTOR DIRECTOR
AREA 14 14 AREA DIRECTOR DIRECTOR
AREA AREA 15 15 DIRECTOR DIRECTOR
28
DIVISION D
CLUBS BAGHDAD baghdad.toastma sters@gmail.com
@baghdadtoastmasters_iq
Online, Iraq
baghdad-toastmasters-club
BaghdadToastmasters
BAHRAIN mah.muzafari @gmail.com
@bahrain_tm BahrainTM
Online, Bahrain
EQHATA HUMOROUS look-out@hotmail.com Online, Bahrain
PALAKKAD sumeshsiam @gmail.com
@palakkadtoastmastersclub
Online, Bahrain
palakkad-toastmasters
ptmbah
29
@eqhata_tm
DIVISION D
CLUBS BAPCO btmcpr2006 @gmail.com
@bapcotoastmastersclub
Bapco, Bahrain
btmc-club
@bapcotoastmastersclub
MUTHAMIL SOLVENTHAR MANDRAM greatpsp@yahoo.com Online, Bahrain
Solvendhar
WMC
SMEDLEY BAHRAIN sunitha.b2b @gmail.com
@enterinstagram
Online, Bahrain
@enterlinkedin
@enterfacebook @entertwitter
30
wmctmclub @gmail.com
@wmctm
Online, Bahrain
@WMCToastmasters
WMCToastmasters
DIVISION D
CLUBS INDIAN CLUB praburavi@yahoo.com
@indianclubtoastmasters bahrain
Online, Bahrain
FC MABUHAY Online, Bahrain
@fc_mabuhay_toastmastersclub fcmabuhaytoastmasters
KRYPTON INNOVATIVE kritbahrain @gmail.com Online, Bahrain
KRYPTON ADVANCED agramyasuresh @gmail.com
@krypton_advanced_tm Krypton Atm
Awal Residence, Salmaniya, Bahrain
31
@kit_bahrain Krypton-InnovativeToastmasters-Club
VISION AND OUR PROGRESS Division E is the draws it strength from its diversity and the synergy between the clubs and areas. With the support of our Area Directors and Club Excom , we have aligned ourselves to empower
VISHAL EDWARD KHAN TM
DIVISION E DIRECTOR
every member, by giving them the opportunity to MARIUM explore and excel in their leadership RANGAT,& TM communication. Regarding the distinguish performance, We have 2 clubs that have achieved the President's Distinguished status, 3 clubs are Distinguished clubs & Additional 3 clubs are marching forward to distinguish status.
The prime focus of our division is to increase our membership and add new clubs to the division, by sharing the values of toastmaster. Many for our clubs have conducted YLP and Open house meeting , to support our focus. We look forward to set up additional club that will enable us to impart the toastmaster values.
AREA DIRECTORS OF DIVISION E MARIAM RANGAT, TM
BV PRABHAKAR, TM
AREA 21 21 AREA DIRECTOR DIRECTOR
WILLIE HILLL, TM
AREA AREA 20 20 DIRECTOR DIRECTOR
AREA AREA 17 17 DIRECTOR DIRECTOR
DINESH KUMAR PAL, TM
HUSSAM RIAD, TM
AREA 19 DIRECTOR DIRECTOR
32
AREA AREA 18 18 DIRECTOR DIRECTOR
DIVISION E
DIVISION DIVISION EE
DIVISION E
CLUBS AURA ICSK Amman, Salmiya, Kuwait
@auratoastmasters AURA-Toastmasters-Club
CAPITOL SPEAKERS Online, Kuwait
@capitolspeakerskwt CapitolSpeakersTM
KUWAIT LEADERS Online, Kuwait
@Kuwaitleaderstm Kuwait Leaders Toastmasters
BHAVAN'S bhavanstoastmastersclub @gmail.com Bhavans School, Jleeb, Kuwait
@bkmtc_bhavans bhavans.club.12
BHAVAN'S KUWAIT MALAYALAM bhavanskuwaitmalayalamtc @gmail.com Online, Kuwait 33
@bkmtc_bhavans bhavans.malayalam.96
DIVISION E
CLUBS AOU Lulu.fakhreddine @hotmail.com
@Toastmasters_aou
Arab Open University, Kuwait
MACE SPRINGS anilson@gmail.com
@Macesprings
Online, Kuwait
@Macesprings
TIMBRE TALKERS Online, Kuwait
@timbretalkersclub TimbretalkersToastmasters timbretalkers-toastmasters-club
CRITICAL THINKERS Online
@criticalthinkers.club critical thinkers
34
DIVISION E
CLUBS ASSP info@kuwait.assp.org
@asspkuwait
ASSP Kuwait Chapter, Kuwait
asspkuwait asspkuwait
DON BOSCO @dbtm.club
Online, Kuwait
DonBoscoToastmasters
PAALAIVANA SOLVENDAR PERAVA avmm64@gmail.com Online, Kuwait
Paalaivana Solvendra Peravai
STARS Online, Kuwait
@stars_tm starstoastmastsers
ELITE DEBATERS Online, Kuwait
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@elite.debaters elitedebaters
VISION AND OUR PROGRESS
Inverted from Division Mission which is We build new clubs and empower all clubs in achieving excellence
Our vision -My vision- in division F is to create more influential leaders that continue leading the district achieving its strategic goals
HAZEM IBRAHIM DTM
DIVISION F DIRECTOR
AREA DIRECTORS OF DIVISION F
FATMA DASHTI, DTM
SNEHAL SAWANT, TM
AREA AREA 22 22 DIRECTOR DIRECTOR
AREA 25 25 AREA DIRECTOR DIRECTOR
ZAINAB MUTHAFA R, TM
REEM AL-OTHMAN, TM
AREA AREA 24 24 DIRECTOR DIRECTOR
AREA 23 23 AREA DIRECTOR DIRECTOR
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DIVISION F
DIVISION DIVISION FF
DIVISION F
CLUBS KUWAIT CHALLENGERS Kuwaitchallengers @gmail.com Online, Kuwait
@kwchallengers kuwaitchallengers kuwait-challengerstoastmasters-club
LIFE PRINCIPLES mhmakhlouf@gmail.com
@lpctoastmasters
Afkar bookshop, View Mall, Salmiya, Kuwait
lpctoastmasters
KUWAIT
BRIGHT HORIZONS jerome_sivle @yahoo.com
@brighthorizonstm
Online, Kuwait
brighthorizonstm
brighthorizonstm
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Deepakbindal @gmail.com
@ktc.kuwait
Online
kuwait-toastmasters-club
kuwait-toastmasters-club
DIVISION F
CLUBS
LEADING LADIES Online, Kuwait
@leading_ladiestm leadingTM leading-ladies-toastmasters
TRAINERS Online, Kuwait
@trainerstoastmasters TrainersToastmasters
PEARL OF GULF Online, Kuwait pearl.toastmastersclubs. org
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@pearlofthegulf PearlsTMclub
VISION AND OUR PROGRESS
It's all about "People". Leadership derives its strength from caring for people, then achieving goals. Support, serve, be close to your team & keep learning to deserve people's hearts.
DAREEN AL HAJJAR
Keep your eyes open to people.
DTM
DIVISION G DIRECTOR
AREA DIRECTORS OF DIVISION G
THEJESWI MENON, TM
NILESH ATTARDE, TM
AREA 29 29 AREA DIRECTOR
AREA AREA 26 26 DIRECTOR DIRECTOR
MURALI MANOHAR, DTM
IBRAHIM ALSHATTI, TM
AREA 27 27 AREA DIRECTOR DIRECTOR
AREA AREA 28 28 DIRECTOR DIRECTOR
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DIVISION G
DIVISION G DIVISION G
DIVISION G
CLUBS ALEXANDRIA Online, Egypt
@alexandriatoastmastersclub Alexandriatoastmastersclub alexandriatoastmastersclub
CAIRO Online, Egypt
@cairotmclub CairoTMClub cairotmclub
ELITE Online, Kuwait
iSpeak Online, Kuwait
@ispeak_tm
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@elite_toastmasters_club
DIVISION G
CLUBS
RISING STARS bharatheswar20112001 @gmail.com
Rising Star Toastmasters Abu halifa, Kuwait
AL-SOOR Online, Kuwait
@al_soor
SOUTH KUWAIT
ACTIVE MINDS Areej_Jaafar@ hotmail.com
@activemindstm activeminds2021
Online, Kuwait
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kr230601@ gmail.com
@sktm_toastmasters_club
Online, Kuwait
sktm-toastmasters-club
SouthKuwaitToastmastersClub
DIVISION G
CLUBS KUWAIT ADVANCED Online, Kuwait
@kuwait_advanced kuwait_advance
OPEN MIC Online, Kuwait
@open_mic_tm Open-Mic-Toastmasters-Club
TESOL Tesol, Kuwait
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@tesol_tm
VISION AND OUR PROGRESS
SEHAM MOHAMED
DTM DIVISION H DIRECTOR
Ambition, Growth, Success, and Achievements all are normal human needs . But to achieve them in a positive environment where everything is shared equally this is the challenge. You cannot find such environment except in toastmaster world where leaders are made, relations are shared and successful stories are created . In every and each step you have a new relation to support or an old one to elevate and grow .
So no need to fear. You are not alone. Our mission is to build new clubs and support all the clubs to achieve excellence. Therefore the key to success is "One for All and All for One."
AREA DIRECTORS OF DIVISION H
NAEEMA KALASH, TM
BEETHA JOHNSON, TM
AREA AREA 33 33 DIRECTOR DIRECTOR
AREA 30 30 AREA DIRECTOR DIRECTOR SHIRAZ MOHAMMED, TM
SAYWED ESTERHUIZEN, TM
AREA 32 32 AREA DIRECTOR DIRECTOR
AREA AREA 31 31 DIRECTOR DIRECTOR
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DIVISION H
DIVISION H DIVISION H
DIVISION H CLUBS LAUGH OUT LOUD Lol2018tm@ gmail.com
@lol2018tm
Online, Kuwait
lol2018tm
lol2018tm
MANGAF COMMUNICATORS mangafcommunicatorstmclub @gmail.com @mangafcommunicatorstmclub
Online, Kuwait
Mangaf Communicators mangaf-communicators-toastmasters-club
DESERT PIONEERS
INSPIRING ECHOES inspiringechoestmc @gmail.com
@inspiringechoestm inspiringechoestm
Online, Kuwait
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dptmq8@gmail.com
@dptmkuwait
Online, Kuwait
dptmclub desertpioneers
DIVISION H CLUBS TAMAKN ADVANCED Online, Kuwait
@tamakn_advanced
SIMS simstoastmasterskuwait @gmail.com
@simstoastmasterskuwait SIMS-Toastmasters-Club
SIMS School, Kuwait
ELITE CHALLENGERS rayboy28@gmail.com Indian English Academy, Salmiya, Kuwait
DURRAR Online, Bahrain
@durrartoastmasters durrartoastmastersclub
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@ectmq8
DIVISION H CLUBS INNOVATORS @lnnovatorstmc
Online, Kuwait
DREAM WEAVERS Online, Kuwait
@dream_weavers_toastmasters dwtoastmasters
EMPOWERED WOMEN @empoweredwomentoastmaster Empowered-Womentoastmaster-club empowered-women-tmc
Online, Kuwait empoweredwomentoast mastersclub@gmail.com
SEMMOZHI Online, Kuwait
semmozhi.toastmaster
CRYSTAL ADVANCED Online, Kuwait
@crystal_atmc
crystalatmc@gmail.com crystalatmc@gmail.com
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DIVISION I
DIVISION DIVISION II
VISION AND OUR PROGRESS Where do you see your division at the end of term? Where do you see you area at the end of the term? What type of vision do you have when you enter the Toasmaster?
MARIAM AL NOAIMI TM DIVISION I DIRECTOR
"See?" Vision for the division is not just something you "see" with our eye. Is the Vision of each member. When we settle a vision we look for the base the member we should understand there objective of member on Toasmaster . Achieving the member objective that mean club success and area and division success .
When we start the term 2021-2022. I found the readership skills on area Director . I believe that we will reach the success on that term because there motivation to the member and support At the End look to your member , your leader you will achieved your vision
AREA DIRECTORS OF DIVISION I
ABRAHAM SANTOSH, TM
JINI JOHARA, TM
AREA 37 DIRECTOR
AREA AREA 34 34 DIRECTOR DIRECTOR RAMESH RAMAKRISHNAN TM
RAJA MANICKAM, TM
AREA AREA 36 36 DIRECTOR DIRECTOR
AREA 35 35 AREA DIRECTOR DIRECTOR
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DIVISION I
CLUBS FRIENDS CLUB @fct_bahrain
Online, Bahrain
INDIAN ACADEMY Online, Bahrain
@iatmc_bh IATMCB
KMCC @kmcctoastmasters KmccToastmasters kmcc-toastmasters-club-bahrain
AL-SEEF Online, Bahrain
@atc.bh Alseef Tmc al-seef-toastmasters-club
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Online, Bahrain
DIVISION I
CLUBS
OFOOQ @ofoq_bh
ofoq.toastmasters@ gmail.com Online, Bahrain
VOICE OF ISLAM voitmclub@ gmail.com
@voi.tm.bh voi.tm.bh
Online, Bahrain
UNIVERSITY STUDENTS @uni_students.club mariam.alhaiki @gmail.com
ZAIN Zain Tower, Bahrain
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Online, Bahrain
DIVISION I
CLUBS
BAHRAIN PANPAALARKAL @tamilpanpaalarkal @enterfacebook
Online, Bahrain
ALASIMA alasima.tmc @gmail.com
@Area36bh
Capital Society, Manama, Bahrain
ST PAULS @st.paultoastmastersclub Stpaultoastmasters @stpaultoastmaster s@gmail.com
STAR Online, Bahrain
@startoastmasters StarToastmastersClubAbidjan
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Online, Bahrain
After World War II, when oil and gas were discovered in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, California Standard Oil Company (CASOC), the predecessor of Arabian American Oil Company (ARAMCO), set up townships near the oil refineries at Awali, Bahrain and Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. With the intention of providing socializing opportunities for the American employees of these oil refineries, sports clubs and Toastmasters clubs were started. Although Toastmasters clubs were established in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, the first documented evidence of a Toastmasters club meeting in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia can be seen in a photo and caption carried by July 29th edition of Sun and Flare in 1953. However, this club was not chartered by Toastmasters International. There is no mention of Dhahran Toastmasters Club in the Toastmasters International Directories of the following years. Perhaps there were fewer than 20 members required to charter the club. The first club in the Arabian Gulf to be officially chartered by TI was Bahrain Toastmasters Club (2875 U) in 1960. Photos of Bahrain Toastmasters Club’s chartering ceremony attended by HH Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the then Amir of Bahrain were carried in TI’s The Toastmaster magazine of December 1960 on pages 20-21. The club’s name and charter number also feature in TI’s Directory of Clubs 1961. This club, too, became inactive after some years. 51
DISTRICT 20 HISTORY
HH Shaikh Isa Bin Salman Al Khalifa at the chartering ceremony of Bahrain Toastmasters Club, 1960.
Toastmasters International Directory 1961. The first club to have survived in the region is Manama Toastmasters (2916 U) in Bahrain which was established in 1964.
Toastmasters International Directory 1965.
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Following Manama Toastmasters, there was a spurt of growth in clubs in the region. 1953 – Dhahran Toastmasters Club (not chartered by TI until 1978), Saudi Arabia 1960 - Bahrain Toastmasters Club (2875 U); went inactive after some years 1964 – Manama Toastmasters (2916 U), Bahrain 1978 - Dhahran Toastmasters Club (1059 U), Saudi Arabia 1988 - Riyadh Toastmasters Club (6897 U), Saudi Arabia 1988 – DTM Gita Ponnuchamy became the first lady Toastmaster of the Arabian Gulf when she joined Manama Toastmasters, motivated by the then President of the club DTM Ponnuchamy 1989 – Bahrain Sports Club Toastmasters (1836 U) (Currently The Indian Club Toastmasters), Bahrain; established by DTM A. Ponnuchamy, TM Krishna Kumar, DTM Vijay Boloor and DTM S S Chithur 1991 – Oasis Club (8258 U), Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia 1995 – Abu Dhabi Toastmasters (1950 U), UAE 1996 - Doha Toastmasters (7148 U), Qatar 1999 – Kuwait Club (7980 U), Kuwait 1999 – Muscat Club (6646 U), Oman 2000 – International Toastmasters Club of Jordan (9342), Jordan It merits mentioning here that by the time the Gulf Territorial Council was formed in 1999, many clubs were formed in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. 1989 marked a significant milestone in the history of Gulf Toastmasters when the clubs in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia held their first joint meeting in Bahrain. Following the success of their first meeting, the clubs in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia continued to have their annual joint meetings in Bahrain, until 1993 when the idea of annual conferences with contests was mooted. Gulf Toastmasters Annual Conference (GTAC) was born.
4th GTAC 1996, Bahrain
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Considering the steady growth of clubs in the region, in 1996, the decision to apply for Territorial Council status was taken by DTM Horace Caviness (Riyadh Toastmasters, Saudi Arabia) and the Officers of the five clubs. In 1999, TI awarded territorial council status and Gulf Territorial Council (GTC) was formed with nine clubs. DTM Matthews Kurien (Oasis Toastmasters, Saudi Arabia) was elected as the first GTC Governor. In 2001-2002, initiatives to apply for provisional district status were taken by the GTC members under the leadership of GTC Governor DTM Janaki Prasad Pattanaik (Saudi Arabia). Unfortunately, DTM Janaki had to return to India, so he took care of the correspondence with TI, while LGET DTM Ponnuchamy (Bahrain) traveled to all the six countries, (Kuwait, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Jordan) and met with all the clubs convincing them to join the District. 63 clubs signed up; 6 clubs in Saudi Arabia did not join. During the 2002 TI Convention at San Antonio, Texas, USA, DTM Ponnuchamy discussed the proposal to form a provisional district with the TI Board of Directors. In 2002-2003, when DTM Ponnuchamy was the GTC Governor, he took Toastmasters International President DTM Gavin Blakey to visit all seven GTC countries. DTM Ponnuchamy, District Secretary DTM Ahmed Rizvi and District Treasurer DTM Elpidio Qutevis worked all day and all night on October 30, 2002, to collect the 63 applications and fax them to TI. In March 2003, TI granted provisional district status to GTC. In May 2003, during GTAC 2003, TI Senior Vice President DTM Ted Corcoran presented the District 79 banner to DTM Ponnuchamy, who started the term as GTC Governor, and relinquished as District 79 (P) Governor.
GTAC 2003 Gulf Territorial Council is awarded provisional District 79 status; then GTC Governor DTM Ponnuchamy receiving the banner from TI Senior Vice President DTM Ted Corcoran
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GTC Officers with GTC Governor DTM A. Ponnuchamy and TI Senior Vice President DTM Ted Corcoran
DTM Rowena Niduaza and District 79 delegates at TI Convention 2005, Toronto, Canada
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Key milestones in the journey of District 20: The following were the GTC Chairman or Governor(today called District Director) 1996 -1997 Mathews Kurien ATM 1999-2001 Manoj Megehiani ATM 2001-2002 Janaki Prasad ATM 2002-2003 A.Ponnuchamy DTM 2003-2004 Mohammed Murad DTM 2004 2005 DTM Imtiaz Ahmed was the District Governor(President Citation award Recipient 2021) 2005 – District 79 (P) became District 79 2005 – District 79 Champion of International Speech DTM Rowena Niduaza went on to become the first District 79 contestant at the semi-finals of TI Convention at Toronto, Canada 2005-2006 Vijay Boloor DTM 2006-2007 Sony Varghese DTM 2011 – Due to exponential growth, District 79 was reformulated into District 79 and District 20 2011 - Saudi Arabia became District 79 2011 – Bahrain, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Jordan and Lebanon formed District 20 2016-2017 Ali Shahbaz Ali DTM, was the District Director of the largest District in the world comprising of 360+ clubs (Distinguished District) 2017-2018- Due to a spike in the number of clubs, District 20 comprised of Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. Mohammed Makhlouf DTM became the District Director 2018-2019- District 20 comprised of Bahrain and Kuwait. Khurram Salman DTM was the District Director. (Smedely Distinguished District) 2018 – Qatar became District 116 2018-2019- Ali Shahbaz Ali DTM was the first Region Advisor (RA) from District 20 2019-2020- Wafaa Salman DTM 2020-2021- Mohammed Saleem DTM August 2020- Mohamed Ali Shukri DTM became the first Accredited Speaker in D20 2021 – Egypt and Iraq joined District 20. Now District 20 comprises of 4 countries 2021 Ali Shahbaz Ali DTM, was elected the first International Director (ID) from District 20. September 2021- Iraq and Egypt joined District 20 Currently District 20 is a robust and thriving district proudly serving 4 countries with 9 Divisions, 37 Areas and 151 clubs, under the leadership of District Director- Alifiya Lakdawala DTM Program Quality Director- Khalid Abdullah DTM Club Growth Director- Khalid Jalal DTM
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December 25, 2021 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada The following is a personal account of the consequential birth of Toastmasters in Kuwait, narrated as closely and accurately as I can remember it. Any factual omissions or inaccuracies in my chronicle are unintentional. The year was 1997. The place was Toronto. I had just finished my final interview for my job in Kuwait. One of the interviewers asked me, “Do you have any question?” “My question has nothing to do with the job”, I said. “Let’s hear it,” the gentleman quipped. Having been a member of Toastmasters in Canada and a corporate Toastmasters club in ARAMCO, Saudi Arabia, I finally asked, “Is there a Toastmasters club in Kuwait?” He said that he didn’t know but would gladly let me know once he found out. He never did. It was October 27, 1997 when I first landed in Kuwait. Having previously lived in Saudi Arabia for 8 years, the boiling climate, the culture, the sounds and sights of Kuwait did not bother me at all. I felt right at home. Aside from my job, foremost in my mind was the Toastmasters. I wanted to rejoin it, and if there was none, I’d like to start one. I asked around and nobody knew about the Toastmasters. Since it’s an iconic American organization, I called the US Embassy to inquire if Toastmasters was present in Kuwait. I was told that there was none. The next day I bought a local English paper, the Kuwait Times and lo and behold in the section What’s going on around Kuwait....... there was a prominent announcement about the organizational meeting of Toastmasters at AMIDEAST, an American nonprofit organization. It made my day. When I went to the organizational meeting, I met like minded and interesting people who became well known in the Toastmasters circle in Kuwait during its infancy. I met Kim Lane, an American professor at Kuwait University and she was the one who placed the advert in the papers. Unfortunately, she left Kuwait without seeing Toastmasters grow and prosper. Guy Jobidon, a Canadian and a manger in the oil industry. Abdullah Mahdi a Kuwaiti and a Training Manager at Kuwait Airways. Musaddik Peshimmam, an Indian and an Investment Manager Jasssem Mohammed Hasan, a Kuwaiti and a senior IT instructor at Kuwait Airways and many more. 57
In the founding group, only three had prior Toastmasters experience. Kim Lane, US, Guy Jobidon Canada, and myself Canada and Saudi Arabia. It took almost a year before the first club took off. It was not easy to find 20 people for the club to be chartered. After a lot of plowing and heavy lifting, the magic number of 20 members was finally achieved and in 1998, the first club ever in Kuwait aptly called Kuwait Toastmasters Club was officially charterd and the Toastmasters movement was endelibly tatooed in the forehead of the Kuwaiti psyche.
As we were busy expanding the Toastmasters organization in Kuwait, we started participating in the Gulf Toastmasters Annual Conference (GTAC). This was the annual gathering of the undistricted Toastmasters clubs from the Gulf Countries plus Jordan. In Jordan, the Toastmasters movement was introduced by Filipina expariates, Vickie Ferrer and Betsie Kruger. In the 12th GTAC in 2001 in Bahrain, we made our presence felt in the conference when Musaddik won 2nd place in International Speech Contest and I won 3rd place in the Speech Evaluation Contest. Kuwait was finally getting noticed. During the next 13th GTAC (2002) in Dubai, I introduced debating to Toastmasters in the Gulf by giving a workshop on debating. It was so popular that not everyone could be accommodated in the venue and some had to be turned away. It was the time when we started lobbying the GTAC officers to hold the annual conference in Kuwait. The lobby continued for a couple of years.
After the mother club was chartered, another prominent would be Toastmaster emerged in the person of Anil Lobo. He joined us later as we tried to expand the membership. Anil chartered Challlengers Toastmasters Club, originally an Al Mulla corporate club the second club to be chartered. I worked hard with the Filipino community and the Kuwait Filipino Toastmasters Club was chartered as the third club in Kuwait. However, due to popular demand, we accepted members from other nationalities and the name was eventually changed to Active Minds which for the longest time was the most popular and the most ethnically diverse club in Kuwait with members coming from 18 countries. Its Newsletter, The Pinnacle won twice as the best Newsletter in the District. One article also won in the district as the best article on communiity events.
Finally, the 15th GTAC was held in Kuwait in 2004 with Jim Key, the World Champion of Public Speaking in 2003 as the Keynote Speaker. Because we were all newbies in this kind of endeavor, it took as a year to prepare and raise funds to successfully host this event. At least 450 Toastmasters from the GCC countries and Jordan graced the event. We added to the activities a public debate which had never been done before. This popular event was part of my educational workshop in the conference. In spite of all the workshops and showcases, it still took many years before debating got a foothold in the Toastmasters in the Middle East.
Abdullah Mahdi on the other hand worked with the Arabic speakers and was able to charter English and Arabic clubs. So far so good!
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In 2004, when Kuwait hosted the 15th GTAC, Kuwait had only 9 clubs, 6 English and 3 Arabic clubs. But the hosting of the conference ignited interest in the Toastmasters in Kuwait and more clubs were chartered after the conference. Today, after 23 years of ups and downs, Kuwait has 65 clubs at last count and eventually DTAC the sequel to GTAC emerged as the fastest growing Toastmasters district in the world. Because of the phenomenal growth of the Toastmasters in the GCC countries plus Jordan and Lebanon, it eventually morphed into four different districts or five if the probational district status of Qatar is included. Of the original 20 charter members of the mother club, Kuwait Toastmasters Club, to my knowledge, only 2 are still active in the Toastmasters. Musaddik is with Bright Horizons and myself with Comfortably Speaking Club here in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. At present, there’s a new set of spirited Toastmasters leaders in Kuwait who continue to spread the mission and vision of Toastmasters International started by a group of dynamic and highly committed leaders who spoke English with various accents but came together for a lofty common goal – the achievement of theToastmasters vision. The new wave of the current leaders are young, capable, and committed to steering and elevating the Toastmasters in Kuwait to a new pedestal, to a new height, They will triumph in expanding, developing, and improving what the old guard veterans started 23 long years ago. That much I know. That much I am sure.
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Cairo Toastmasters is currently the largest and most well established Toastmasters club located in Egypt. It is one of only two Toastmasters clubs located in the entire country of Egypt with over 100 million people. Cairo Toastmasters was found by Mohamed Tohami in 2009. Meetings were held in his apartment in the small district of Maadi close to the downtown Cairo. Mohamed has now become a public speaker, author and does trainings for large corporations as well as privately. He has developed a well known program called “Passion Point” aimed at helping trainers and speakers market their own programs and develop their own teachings. Cairo Toastmaster's current president, Ashraf Youssef, joined the Cairo Toastmasters in late 2017. When he first joined the club, he found that key committee officers such as the VPPR, Treasurer, President and SAA were missing in action. Meetings were being held periodically by a single person by the name “Ziad Fayed” who served as the VPE of the club for that period. Ziad would preform the speech, conduct TableTopics, serve as the TMOD and sometimes give an evaluation on his own speech. Since then, the CTM committee has worked diligently to grow the clubs membership base, increase the clubs marketing reach through utilizing social media and paid marketing campaigns, as well as providing true value for the clubs members. Cairo Toastmasters has over 18 thousand likes on Facebook and thousands more on other social media platforms such as meetup and whatsapp. Right now, the CTM committee is working on building a new Toastmasters club located on the east side of Cairo in the Giza governate which will further advance the Toastmasters brand in Egypt.
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Baghdad toastmaster now is a hub for every individual whoseeks self-growth and has helped many overcome the fear of public speaking. With its ongoing success, we ought to note the club’s humble beginnings with its Co-founder Aws Sabah. Where was your first meeting? And how was it? My first toastmaster experience was mind-altering, it was in Istanbul. I went into that meeting not knowing what to expect and came out with a lot of insight. In my first meeting I was astonished by the speeches, they talked about achievements, overcoming obstacles and various other inspiring topics. One notion that caught my eyes was the diversity, people from many different parts of the world sharing their ideas each one bringing their own culture, perspective, and view. That is what inspired me the most. However, when it was time for the table topics, I got nervous thinking what if they pick me! I didn’t know how the club worked back then. I suddenly realized I have “fear of public speaking” and thinking on my feet, so I knew I had to do something about it. I joined Istanbul Toastmasters starting a new path for myself that will truly change my life. How did Baghdad Toastmasters start? And what was the moment that motivated you to initiate it? In my days in Baghdad, I used to volunteer in multiple events and organizations like TEDx. I saw that whenever there are a few numbers of volunteers required, there are thousands who apply. This made me realized how much energy there is in Iraqi youth and how little space they have to utilize it. A toastmaster in Baghdad was the perfect fit, Iraqi youth was in desperate need for a place to learn new skills, share thoughts and communicate with each other and even other cultures. Iraqi youth need a source of inspiration and to be connected with the world to be leaders for next generations.
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How did you go about setting a club in Baghdad? The club’s beginnings were very humble, I started with a Facebook page trying to increase the number of followers. I reached out to a friend for a small space to hold the meetings at in his company, when I had a number of followers, I set the date for the first Baghdad Toastmasters meeting hoping that at least some will show up. Our progress was slow at first because there was little commitment from the people who came, only a few people believed in the message of the club and stuck with me till the end helping me turn the club to what it is today. Our main challenges were the safety and the political conflict that was going around in Iraq, we used to hear sound of shooting and bombs during our meetings and people would get terrified, the instability was really challenging. But we didn’t give up and stayed determined, which lead us to achieve great results for the club and its members.
Baghdad toastmasters first online meeting on 28 March, 2020.
On Dec 21, 2020, Toastmasters Baghdad, hosted its first in-person meeting as COVID-19 restrictions lightened, with precautions.
Dec 3, 2021, Baghdad Toastmasters finally became part of a district. Now part of district 20 which consist of clubs across Bahrain, Kuwait and Egypt.
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BONDS BEY OND BORDERS DTAC CHAIR FATMA MOHMMED DASHTI, DTM With all that we have all been through, it’s here, DTAC 2022, “Bonds Beyond Borders”. DTAC is a short term for “District 20 Toastmaster International Annual Conference” and it is a District event. Most Toastmasters members think that it is just a matter of competition, racing to reach that stage so far with all the enthusiasms, confidence, big dreams to be the number one, but is it really what do you expect from you? Does it really satisfy your ambitions? Is there more beyond your limits?
I look to it as a journey of amazing networking, learning, connecting with
Believing in yourself is the first secret to success.
the social world. The District Conference is an exciting educational and networking event for a
That is why the team of DTAC 2022 decided to have this theme since two countries joined District 20 to go to a higher level of challenge, Kuwait, Bahrain, Egypt, and Iraq, Welcome all.
District’s clubs. It requires lots of planning to have a successful District Conference, and members should enjoy it all, learn from, and benefited from it.
Why do you think we all need to join DTAC whether as a contestant or as a team member or even as a participant in DTAC 2022 events? The annual showcase gives members
That is the part where all are working together to plan to make those sessions among the upcoming events focused on speaking, communication, leadership, and other topics that promote club success. So far, the first event was launched in
around the world the chance to hear worldclass speakers, celebrate Toastmasters achievements, and gain new ideas and insights about communication and leadership.
conjunction with the National Bahraini Celebrations “Homeland Nobility” and yet there are still more to go. With everyone, there shall be more activities on all the DTAC 2022 social media. 63
DISTRICT 20 ANNUAL CONFERENCE
DISTRICT 20 ANNUAL CONFERENCE
The district speech contest is an essential aspect of the District Conference, where many members and guests attend. Yes, of course. It is worth joining the District 20 Toastmasters Annual Conference DTAC 2022. You meet new people, make new friends, learn to have a good conversation, master the art of public speaking, learn to be confident and bold and express yourself in front of others, and most importantly, you get to learn many 'lessons'. Allow yourself to go Beyond your Borders. Join the DTAC 2022 with far expectations.
MARKETING EVENTS This year we are organizing various events by the District to promote Toastmasters. Our District Open House featured famous Kuwaiti Singer Mubarak Al Rashed and popular RJ from Bahrain RJ Mirchi Juhi. "Your Growth in Toastmasters" is another series of marketing events that are planned this year to bring together different professional from various fields and understand what they look for in a candidate. In this pandemic with many loosing their jobs, this initiative by District 20 is to learn how to Ace your job interview, understand their perspective and write a Professional CV. In our first event we were able to hear from Top professional in the HR field, in the upcoming events we will be bringing from various other fields - IT, Finance, and so on. This event also had a meetup of Club Growth Directors for other Districts to discuss about the current Membership as well as various strategies to succeed.
Follow our social media to find out more.
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MARKETING EVENTS
DISTRICT 20
D20 SOCIAL MEDIA
DISTRICT DISTRICT 20 20
SOCIAL MEDIA YOUTUBE YOUTUBE
INSTAGRAM INSTAGRAM
LINKEDIN LINKEDIN
FACEBOOK FACEBOOK
g .orrg sstte errss.o a m a t s m t a s o a t o 0 t 2 t 0 2 ict d isttrric dis
D20 newsletter 2021 | 62
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DISCLAIMER District 20 is part of the non-profit organisation of Toastmasters International. Toastmasters International and all other Toastmasters International trademarks and copyrights are the sole property of Toastmasters International. The District 20 Newsletter (July-December, 2021) was created and distributed by The District 20 Public Relations Office, and therefore is independent of Toastmasters International. It is not authorized by, endorsed by, sponsored by, affiliated with, or otherwise approved by Toastmasters International. All images are rightfully owned by District 20 Toastmasters, the clubs under District 20 (2021-22). and members of the District (2021-22).
DISTRICT 20
TOASTMASTERS REGION 11 | TOASTMASTERS INTERNATIONAL
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