DOHA: Qtel's Arabic Toastmasters club officially joined the roster of Toastmasters International clubs worldwide, it was announced at a recent function.
The only Arabic outpost of the organisation in Qatar, Qtel Arabic Toastmasters also has the largest membership in the country, with 42 Qtel employees currently registered.
The club recently convened at a graduation ceremony that recognised their recent training endeavours.
In his congratulatory remarks to the Toastmasters, Abdulrahman Al Harami, renowned host of Qatar Radio's Daily Show and a mentor to the club, urged them to continue with their training and practice. "You have come this far, now don't sit back and be content with what you have accomplished today," he said.
Early this month, Qtel Toastmasters hosted Abdulrahman Al Harami and Hussain Al Sayed, a noted specialist in training and development, for a club-sponsored training programmne.
Under their tutelage, members of Qtel Arabic Toastmasters met after work in four-hour sessions over a period of two weeks to certify themselves in a UK training programme that is the standard of the speaking industry.
This May, Qtel Arabic Toastmasters will represent Qatar at the District 79 Arabic competition in Kuwait, to which all clubs located in the GCC and Jordan will send competitors. In preparation, each club in District 79 will have an internal competition, with the winners subsequently gathering to compete in Kuwait.
For Ramzi Hasan Al Ajez, an engineer in Qtel's Network division who was elected to a one-year term as President of Qtel Arabic Toastmasters, the challenge is clear.
"I am determined that it will be a Qtel Arabic Toastmasters club member who will win the District 79 competition this May in Kuwait," he says
To that end, the president and his officers, including vice presidents for: education, membership, public relations, treasurer, protocol, and secretary, agreed to bring in "master speakers" to help hone members' skills and to motivate them.
"Qtel employees are out in the market, constantly interacting with customers," continues Al Ajez.
"For Arabic-speaking employees, Arabic Toastmasters provides an invaluable opportunity to gain experience speaking in front of an audience. We also provide training opportunities that benefit employees both on and off the job."
Launched in 2008, Qtel Arabic Toastmasters is dedicated to building speaking and presentation skills among the company's Arabic-speaking employees.
© The Peninsula 2010
