SPEAKER_01 0:12

Hi, my name is Brisbane. Welcome to the Fisbus. Please join me as I travel virtually a regular from different countries in all the life. Let's explore. For this episode of Toastmaster's World Tour, we travel virtually to Daris Dalaam, Tanzania, to chat to another ex-toastmaster, Herman Kizota Kajuru. He's an aspiring politician who describes himself as a concerned and informed citizen. Let's take a look at his Toastmaster's journey and see why he left and if he'll consider rejoining. Habari Herman, welcome to the show.

SPEAKER_00 1:16

Thank you very much, Brendan.

SPEAKER_01 1:18

Could you please tell us a little bit about yourself?

SPEAKER_00 1:22

Perfect. My good name is Haman Kizota Kajiru. I was born here in Tanzania and very utterly Tanzanian who is now faring into the politics space.

SPEAKER_01 1:35

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_00 1:36

After out from the insurance industry. But I am educated and experienced in the insurance industry, but also I do some business consultations because I possess a master of business administration in leadership and governance.

SPEAKER_01 1:54

I see. Just going back a little bit then, you were previously a Toastmaster. When did you join Toastmasters and what was your first club?

SPEAKER_00 2:03

Uh perfect. My first time to join Toastmasters was back in uh September 2017.

SPEAKER_01 2:10

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 2:11

But but but before that, I joined Toastmasters spiritually because you know uh learning is an endless journey. So I joined Masters spiritually before really joining Toastmasters by registration and having uh the membership number. So I joined in September 2017, and my first e-club was Darislam Toastmasters Club, and it was the second earliest e-club to charter in Tanzania.

SPEAKER_01 2:44

I see. Just going on what you said just a moment ago, you said you joined spiritually Toastmasters. What did you mean by that?

SPEAKER_00 2:52

Uh perfect. I heard about Toastmasters about 10 years before joining Toastmasters. I see. So I was I was following Toastmasters across um through online. I started by uh getting into YouTube, getting into online materials and learn on my own. And I was one of the people who uh tried to introduce it into Tanzania. And especially at that time, I had an opportunity to attend one of the Tikons, the Toastmasters East African Conferences in Nairobi. So uh the conference that is when I came with an idea that we could do something like starting a club here in Tanzania. So I started joining Toastmasters spiritually uh before it came into the reality of Tanzanian environments.

SPEAKER_01 3:50

I'm with you now. What made you interested in Toastmasters in the first place?

SPEAKER_00 3:56

Yes. Uh what made me to uh get into it? Uh the first thing was to accost the fear of public speaking. And number two, uh, I was interested in joining toastmasters because of the networking part of it, both personal and professional. I see. That made me to join into opening up into the new world things. Because when you join Tossmasters, even the way you think about things changes.

SPEAKER_01 4:34

So you started your own club. Was that a difficult process?

SPEAKER_00 4:38

Uh it was as easy as ABC because uh the first thing that it brings about it is that interest. The instinct that pushes that that pushed me to join Tossmasters, so it made the process easy because it was in me, and given that it is uh self-based learning, it couldn't be very difficult for me to join the Tossmasters. So it was very easy, and I enjoyed the journey before getting out of it back in 2021.

SPEAKER_01 5:13

I see. But you helped start a club. Was it hard to get other people involved?

SPEAKER_00 5:19

Yes, as you understand that in Toastmasters, for a club to charter, you need about 20 members, at least 20 members.

SPEAKER_01 5:29

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 5:30

So I had uh this I had this this push of introducing it to other people, especially in Darislam, especially in the industry of insurance where I was working in. So I started preaching it, preaching about it, just like I do sales.

SPEAKER_01 5:51

Yes, I see. Toastmasters and the program is pretty standard around the world. Is there anything that you think may be uniquely Tanzanian about your club meetings?

SPEAKER_00 6:04

Uh the thing about Tanzania clubs, because at that time, and it is still uh new, it is still an unborn baby here in Tanzania because when you compare Tanzania with other countries across East Africa, you may realize that the Tanzanians need to need an extra push. They need an extra an extra push because since we started two of the clubs back then, and later we added another two clubs, there are still four clubs here in Tanzania. So there is no growth at all. So you can see in Nairobi there are more than uh 70, 100 clubs. In Rwanda, you may have about more than 20 clubs, in Uganda, more than 50 clubs, but in Tanzania, still we are we we are weighing around. Four clubs, five clubs, some other clubs came after and they died. Yes, we have a very big big challenge of recruiting people here in Tanzania. People have known that inner push to start clubs and getting out of their comfort zones.

SPEAKER_01 7:19

So your surrounding countries have all got many more clubs. Why do you think Tanzania seems to be struggling?

SPEAKER_00 7:27

Uh Tanzania seems to be struggling because most people here uh focusing on uh our national language is Swahil. So sometimes the English becomes the mountain to climb by using hands.

SPEAKER_01 7:41

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 7:42

So uh some people who uh who know how to speak English fluently uh uh pretend to be too busy. They pretend to be too busy, they pretend to be focusing on uh on other professional learnings like getting their masters, getting their PhDs. They do not take seriously about it as masters as one of the ways of growing both professionally and personally, so they do not take it serious or as a serious matter because it is a self-spec learning. So uh self-motivations are lacking amongst the Tanzanians.

SPEAKER_01 8:24

I see. So you said there are four clubs in Tanzania. Are they all English speaking, or do you have any Swahili going on in the clubs?

SPEAKER_00 8:32

We have uh we have uh three of them are English clubs and one is a bilingual club, both the Swahili and English.

SPEAKER_01 8:42

Okay, and how does that go?

SPEAKER_00 8:45

Uh because there are the the the meetings are scheduled uh on the first Thursday and third Thursday of every month. So the first Thursday is for an English session, then the other Thursday goes for a Swahili session.

SPEAKER_01 9:01

I see. And do you get a bigger turnout on one of the days, like the Swahili Day, for example?

SPEAKER_00 9:06

The Swahili, the Swahili one always has a very big turnover.

SPEAKER_01 9:12

Like how many?

SPEAKER_00 9:13

Yes, many people are coming in.

SPEAKER_01 9:16

What would the numbers compare between the English and Swahili?

SPEAKER_00 9:19

Uh the English one you may find people coming like uh 20, 25, 30. Sometimes it depends on their schedule at work because most of the people are they the work sessions are involving tra traveling out of the out of the city. But during uh Swahili sessions, uh there is always a good number. Like wow, 50. Like 50, 40, it ranges in that space.

SPEAKER_01 9:54

So potentially enough to form another club with those sort of numbers.

SPEAKER_00 9:57

Yes, it is very easy to form another club.

SPEAKER_01 10:00

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 10:01

And do you have themes to your meetings? Themes, yes, yes, yes. Very interesting things.

SPEAKER_01 10:09

And do you have any that sort of a quote tanzen in theme?

SPEAKER_00 10:12

For instance, I remember one of the best Toastmasters meetings I ever uh attended that involved both the Swahili people and the English people, was the one uh that we had to compare between the lives, the lifestyles of the people between uh 60s, 90s, and and and these uh two South Indies, the Gen Z.

SPEAKER_01 10:41

I see.

SPEAKER_00 10:42

Yes, so you come uh in in your elegant style of wearing, referring to the to the to the age. Uh what I can say it was full of creativity.

SPEAKER_01 10:55

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 10:56

It was full of creativity, just like that.

SPEAKER_01 11:00

Sounds like a lot of fun. Did you have any photos from that meeting at all that you posted anywhere? Uh photos, yes, yes, yes.

SPEAKER_00 11:09

There are photos. Would you be happy to share any of the photos? I can share with you some photos of that meeting.

SPEAKER_01 11:16

Sounds fabulous. Yeah. I was looking at your profile, and it looks like you've had a pretty rapid rise in the Toastmasters leadership roles, rising to Assistant Area One Director for Club Growth in a relatively short space of time. Could you tell us a bit about that?

SPEAKER_00 11:34

Okay. Uh I have told you that by that time we I was amongst the first people to establish Toastmasters in Tanzania. So by that time, it was full of uh commitment. So my the my team and I committed that we are going to do something that is marvelous and extra ordinary so that everyone could be motivated to join Toastmasters. So through that commitment, self-motivation, and self-push resulted for me to join ladders just like uh just like it wasn't a mountain to climb by using hands. It was very easy because of the extra push and self-motivation that we had myself and the team.

SPEAKER_01 12:30

Love her.

SPEAKER_00 12:38

Number one was the Toastmasters thrill, table topics thrill, the table topic session. That was my most favorite Toastmasters experience, but also with nursing transformation. Okay, because it was through Toastmasters that I gained some mentorship, coaching, uh publicly speaking skills, but also I I was able to advance my leadership, my leadership and management skills.

SPEAKER_01 13:07

Wonderful. I think you've almost answered my next question, which was has Toastmasters led to any other opportunities that you didn't expect?

SPEAKER_00 13:15

Perfect. So many of them. Fortunately, I can say Toastmasters made me to meet with my wife. I met my wife in Toastmasters. So that is one of the reasons that I I can't forget uh the really good moments and the funny moments with the Toastmasters.

SPEAKER_01 13:38

Unexpected, uh, nice benefit. I note on your LinkedIn profile that you are a concerned and informed citizen. Could you tell us a bit about that?

SPEAKER_00 13:49

Uh perfect. I am calling myself an informed and uh an informed and consented citizen because uh despite being in the insurance into the insurance industry, but also I am working in the government getting here and there to some sectors, and I really understand how the dynamics of the government works, especially in solving people with problems. As of now, I am working as the word counselor of my area.

SPEAKER_01 14:22

Okay. Do you have any major concerns?

SPEAKER_00 14:28

Uh perhaps, God willing, uh, in the near future I am going to vote for a member of a parliament. So that is why I'm calling myself an informed citizen because I am seeking for any information. Without an information, um gets it to seek for me.

SPEAKER_01 14:47

Okay, well, good luck with that. I'll be interested to follow your journey in that case.

SPEAKER_00 14:52

Thank you very much.

SPEAKER_01 14:53

Has Toastmasters had any influence on other aspects of your life?

SPEAKER_00 14:58

Uh, many of them. I have a good number of experiences that uh Toastmasters has done out of Toastmasters. For instance, uh in uh in a year, I had an opportunity to climb into three ladders of different companies from an assistant underwriter, the mid-office manager into a branch manager, zono manager, and just in a year I was able to be a head of a business department. So out of Toastmasters, Toastmasters skills, or the skills that I acquired from Toastmasters made me to have other more avenues to experience other more opportunities out of Toastmasters.

SPEAKER_01 15:44

I see. Are you still a member of Toastmasters, an active member?

SPEAKER_00 15:49

Uh no, I am not an active member currently. I quit Toastmasters back in 2021 when I was uh busy with my research, pursuing my master's program in business administration and leadership and governance.

SPEAKER_01 16:03

I see. So yeah, life got in the way. You and obviously there's only so much we can do in a day. Would you consider joining Toastmasters again?

SPEAKER_00 16:11

Yes, shortly. And it is it is in my this year's resolution. One of my this year's resolution is to get back to Toastmasters.

SPEAKER_01 16:20

Okay, wonderful. And so we two from here.

SPEAKER_00 16:25

And I will be happy to join one of your uh or one of your uh club meetings there in Australia.

SPEAKER_01 16:32

Okay, yeah, I can send you some links to some online clubs.

SPEAKER_00 16:36

Okay, I will be happy to do that.

SPEAKER_01 16:39

Wonderful. Have you got anything else you'd like to share today with us, Herman?

SPEAKER_00 16:43

Uh anything to share with you uh today is that Tosmasters is a family. It is not about professional growth, it is not about personal growth, but it is not about personal and professional growth. But Tostmasters is a family. It is a family because it gives an opportunity for any person who wants to join Tossmasters to meet with like-minded individuals, something that is beyond even the bloodline, blood ships. Because you get to meet uh like-minded individuals, you meet people across the world, you meet people who are far better than you, who can mentor, coach, and show you some ways. For instance, it is through Toastmasters that you you you you you you read across my profile that has made us to join uh to join us and connect us today in this podcast meeting right now.

SPEAKER_01 17:40

Exactly. And I think what you say about family is very true. And in your case, family, having met your wife in Toastmasters, it's been family in more ways than one. Am I right?

SPEAKER_00 17:53

Yeah, exactly. Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 17:57

Okay, thank you so much for joining us today, Herman. It's been an absolute pleasure.

SPEAKER_00 18:02

Thank you very much. Thank you very much, Brendan. Have a good night.

SPEAKER_01 18:11

Thanks for listening to today's show. One of the key elements of Toastmasters is evaluations. This is how we grow and improve, both by encouraging comments for things we got right and points for improvement. We all learn and benefit from these evaluations, not just the person being evaluated. So any feedback in the comments is greatly appreciated. If you have a Toastmaster story you'd like to share or would like to be on the show, I'd love to hear from you. Reach me at Toastmasterswildhood at gmail.com. Thanks for listening.