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When a debate or elocution is on the horizon it is not unusual to see enthusiastic parents giving their children tips on emphasis, body language and posture. However, in the Munshi household in Zinj, there has been a slight reversal of roles.
Shagufta Munshi, a full-time homemaker and president of Angels Toastmasters Club in Manama, is juggling school runs and duties at home with preparations for the Bahrain Toastmasters Annual Contest (BTAC) on Friday. And her greatest enthusiasts are none other than her children - Misbah, 13, Aisha, 11 and Raaed, six.
Competing against four other candidates, Shagufta is hoping to win the table topics contest and represent Bahrain at the District Level Toastmasters Annual Convention award to be held in Abu Dhabi next month.
Her excitement has been compounded by the fact she is the only competing woman candidate from among the clubs in her area and that she is representing the only woman's toastmaster's club in the kingdom. She said: "It is very challenging and requires a lot of preparation and research. In the table topics contest you have to talk on an impromptu subject provided at the contest. We have to think on our feet and give a two-minute speech with all the right elements.
"I have competed twice earlier but I have never reached this level before. So this time I am not leaving any stone unturned. My children are my evaluators. They give me all the tips, point out my mistakes and tell me where I have to improve.
"At the same time I am doing what I enjoy while I am learning a lot ... reading a lot and spending time for myself."
Toastmasters clubs are non-profit organisations where individuals develop public speaking and leadership skills through practice and feedback. Shagufta and her mates at the Angels Toastmasters are women from all walks of lives - teachers, beauticians, interior designers, fashion designers, homemakers and so on.
Vidya Khader, vice-president membership, said: "Toastmasters is not just about public speaking. What we do here is to learn how to communicate ... most important aspect about it is to learn how to listen and how to give feedback without hurting others feelings.
"Whatever we talk about - success, hope, failure, or anything else, we talk about our experiences in life. So we are speaking about what we believe in."
Meetings are held fortnightly where participants practice and learn skills by filling a meeting role, ranging from giving a prepared speech or an impromptu one to serving as timer, evaluator or a grammarian.
Area governor, Rosaline Roy Charlie, said: "When a new member comes she is not forced to start any project. She is given small roles and responsibilities. The member can become a joke master or a grammarian. This is so that she gets over her phobia and start when she is comfortable while being part of the group."
