Every toastmaster that has won a ribbon for best speaker or a contest at any level understands the value of proper preparation. Accolades come second to hard work and commitment. Mtandao Toastmasters Club is an advanced online club that aims to create a high-performance environment which allows our member to be the best toastmasters they can be! The qualification for membership is to be a Competent Communicator, be above Level 3 on Pathways, and be a member in good standing from a club in good standing under District 114. We bring together advanced speakers, making it possible for our members to achieve their educational goals efficiently and effectively through three main ways.

Firstly, Mtandao toastmasters club gives its members the rare opportunity to have easier access to mentors. Most Toastmasters meetings are held in the evening, after which most members rush home, and it might be a challenge to speak to them concerning mentorship. It can also be a challenge for you to access mentorship from that Toastmaster who you look up to, because some seasoned Toastmasters may not be easily accessible, being in Clubs far from you. On this online platform, members can easily reach out for mentorship from meeting participants and begin working on speeches and respective roles. With this, mentees can expect to be excellent leaders and communicators, as they easily get the opportunity to hone skills required in winning international speech contests, delivering commencement speeches and working as international presenters on this online platform. Secondly, it provides the opportunity for members to fast track their progress through pathways. Being an advanced club, Mtandao toastmasters club is for participants who are already members of one or more toastmasters clubs. On average, clubs meet twice a month, and this might not be adequate to meet personal educational goals within a given time frame.

Joining this club allows you to fast track your progress, and to do so while being held to higher standards through evaluations and in the roles taken. This is also useful for toastmasters pursuing their first and second DTM’s. It is also a fantastic opportunity for members to complete their ACB, ACS and ACG speeches in the legacy programme before it is phased out in 2020.

Lastly, it allows its members to have a self-driven sense of purpose. Members get the rare chance to access a toastmasters club at the comfort of their homes and workplaces, for only an hour, twice a month. This is a fantastic opportunity to grow ones leadership and communication skills to the next level. It is worth noting that the commitment required to make this change will have to be deliberate and self-driven. Members are expected to show up for meetings on time and be active participants without being pushed to do so. Mtandao brings back the euphoric experience all toastmasters once had when we delivered our first speech and we became a lot more confident in our personal and professional lives. A self-driven sense of purpose is what inspired us to make this change. Similarly, it is what we need to make any meaningful progress in life.

In conclusion, Mtandao toastmasters club makes it possible for its members to achieve their educational goals efficiently and effectively through three main ways; providing easier access to mentors, providing our members the opportunity to fast track their progress through pathways and allowing its members to have a self-driven sense of purpose. The value our members gain from this platform is attained at a very affordable price of $60 to be renewed every six months. I urge those looking to join this club to look
forward to stepping outside their comfort zone and ripping the benefits that come with it, as Pat Summit put it, “Change equals self-improvement. Push yourself to places you haven’t been before.”

–Moses Waihura chartered the Mtandao Toastmasters Club, an Advanced Communicator member club.