TOASTMASTERS International is inviting members of the Highway community to join its newly established branch and improve their public speaking and leadership skills. The global non-profit organisation provides a platform for individuals to develop confidence in communication through its structured peer evaluation system.

The Highway branch is preparing its top speakers for national competitions, following recent successes at the Area and Division levels. Among them is Cindy Goniwe, who secured a place in the upcoming national speech contest with her powerful speech, Sweet Dreams. Goniwe’s speech drew from her personal experience with domestic violence, offering a heartfelt perspective on the struggles and resilience of survivors.

“I wanted to give insight into why I stayed in an abusive relationship for as long as I did and what gave me the strength to leave,” she said.

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She described how her idealised dream of love initially blinded her to the abuse, leading her to justify her partner’s actions. “Within the dysfunction, I started to dream of normality. Now, I live in a time where I am free to dream beyond trauma and abuse. I wanted the audience to understand not just why it happens, but also how to overcome it,” she explained.

The club hosts bi-weekly meetings where members present speeches and receive feedback on areas such as grammar, time management, and speech clarity. Gil Harper, a representative of the organisation, emphasised the importance of these evaluations in helping speakers improve. “Evaluators provide constructive feedback on audibility and grammatical accuracy. The ‘Ah Counter’ tracks filler words like ‘um’ and ‘like’ to help speakers become more polished. Each speech also focuses on different elements such as humour, presentation mastery, leadership development, and teamwork,” said Harper.

At the club’s most recent meeting, themed “The Heart of a Champion,” members delivered speeches with thought-provoking titles such as “Be One with Nature and Let It Take Its Course” and “Unmasking the Devil Within”.

Also read: What does a speech and language therapist do?

Toastmasters offers a supportive environment for individuals looking to refine their speaking skills and develop confidence in front of an audience. Interested community members can contact chairperson Vivien Boddy on 082 564 6435.

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