THE STORY OF SREEJA

Learning, teaching and facilitating are the three phases of life and the same happens in the Toastmasters too. As a speaker you first learn the basic tools of communication, you implement them in the advance communication, teach them during evaluation and later on facilitate teaching by conducting a Youth Leadership Program or a Speech Craft Program. This is one of the requirements of the Advance Communication Gold and the person who conducts this program is the chief coordinator.

YLP is a series of 12 events spanning over 3 months being conducted every week and during these period come numerous problems, expected and unexpected. Some of them are manageable and some beyond ones control. Around 25 to 30 school children ranging from standard 8 to 12 are selected. There are approximately half the number of mentors who assist these children with their assignments. 

Youth Leadership Program is a very tight-scheduled program. A participant cannot afford missing a single session; Sreeja a youth leader had fallen sick and was diagnosed for chicken pox; she had missed 4 sessions but timely medical attention helped her recover soon and she wished to pursue the program. Venkat Devrajan the chief coordinator of the program was a worried man. Sreeja’s recovery was a point for him to rejoice but he had an equally opposite point to regret. Sreeja’s mentor had to leave the kingdom on an emergency leave; the big question was who would guide her? She required special attention and more guidance without further delay.

It was Friday afternoon, I received a call, Venkat was on the other end of the line. He continued: I have nothing to say but a request to make, can you help me out? I agreed. He asked if I could mentor one more child. I accepted. He explained me the case of Sreeja and expected me to act fast, he wanted me to reach him at his house and from there we together would visit her house.

Fifteen minutes later we were at Sreeja’s house, her family seated around hoping their daughter to get back in action. I was expected to help her with the International Speech. I asked if she had done some preparatory work on it. She replied in affirmation. Having talked with her to know her wish, hopes and commitment I asked her to send me the script. I would develop it and send it back to her. The next day we would be starting the rehearsal, by then she was asked to memorize it. 

That day, I worked till late in the evening and sent her the developed speech with a note to see her tomorrow evening at 05.00 pm. The next day at her home when we started the rehearsal, I found her facing difficulty in pronouncing certain words in the speech. Every person carries the dialect of his or her mother tongue. Very few are exceptions to it Sreeja too had the same problem. I decided to replace the tougher words with tougher words with softer words. I corrected the words and sent the speech to her.

The next day when I went to her house for the rehearsal, she continued with the tougher version. I asked her the reason. She simply said, she would prefer the tougher version. with everyday practice, the difficulty started disappearing and on the final day she made it; she was selected as the best speaker. Without bothering about the results all she knew was to believe in herself, believe in her mentor and give her best, the rest she left to GOD. See you next time with the STORY OF SAMRIDH.