Dubai, April 24: Deborah Rebello is only ten. But, compared to other kids her age, she has a great advantage. She can speak eloquently in public with passion and in style.
Deborah goes beyond the usual dreams of her peers. She decided to join this month in the eight-day Youth Leadership Programme (YLP) of the Dubai Advanced Toastmasters Club, a programme designed to help children between the age of 10 and 18 recognise their hidden talents to become effective leaders and communicators.
Though she was the youngest among the 17 participants, she easily won the competition that ended the eight
day course.
She was the champion in the three- to five-minute prepared speech and came second in the one- to three-minute impromptu speech category.
“I met lots of friends in this programme. I learned a lot, from eye contact to moving around while speaking before an audience,” she told Khaleej Times. Like Deborah, Ramprakash finished the programme with flying colours. He topped the impromptu speech which focused on one question for all participants, “If time would stop for an hour, what would you do for that hour?”, and came in second in the prepared speech category delivering “Anger”.
Deborah and Ramprakash belonged to the second batch of YLP trainees, the first of which trained 18 children from different schools in Dubai in mid-March this year.
Anita Justus, coordinator of the YLP, told Khaleej Times that the programme is a part of the Toastmasters International curriculum directed at developing leadership and communication qualities in young people, thereby enabling them to become tomorrow’s leaders.
On completion, the participants are expected to overcome stage fright and nervousness, organise and present their ideas logically, develop critical and analytical skills and become active participants in most situations demanding leadership.
Madiha Afreen, 12, told Khaleej Times that she used to be afraid of speaking in public and thought that it would be impossible for her to speak before a group of people.
Yet, during the competition, she exhibited confidence that would make many thought she was a professional speaker. She presented her topic, “House Cleaning”, with ease
Mohammed Ali Sayed, 12, from Delhi Private School, who came third in the impromptu category, said that he has stammering problem but after the first session, he completely overcame it.
Stammering problem, nervousness, lack of confidence and other speaking difficulties that hinder a speaker from delivering what he wants to say logically with confidence and in sheer eloquence are all things of the past after children finish the programme.
Justus told Khaleej Times that in the YLP all children are given equal opportunity and equal platform to make them “flaming fires”.
–Agencies