JEDDAH, 24 October 2006 — The Dammam Chapter of the Center for Information and Guidance, India (CIGI) will organize a major leadership-training program from Oct. 26 to Nov. 17 in association with Toastmasters International.
Sajjad Abdulsalam, vice president for education at CIGI Toastmasters Club, said the program would be conducted in customized six-session modules of three hours each for students of International Indian School, Dammam.
CIGI Toastmasters Club’s President T.M. Shaila Koya is the program’s chief coordinator. A team of eminent Toastmasters in the region have pledged to support her. Shaila Koya is one of the senior Toastmasters in the Eastern Province and a winner of many speech contests. “Every young person has the potential to become a good communicator and leader, but this potential needs to be developed,” Abdulsalam said, emphasizing the significance of the leadership-training program.
“The program’s unique workshop-style design enables participants to develop this potential through practical experience,” he said. “Participants learn speaking and leadership skills they will use for the rest of their lives. They learn to overcome the nervousness everyone feels when asked to speak before an audience,” he explained. The program will help students to organize and present their ideas logically, and participate in and even lead group discussions and meetings, he said. “It will also increase their self-confidence,” he added.
The club had earlier conducted a peer group leadership training camp for students. “The workshop conducted by Distinguished Toastmaster Lancy D’Souza on public speaking was so beneficial to the attendees that they themselves came forward with the suggestion of holding more such training programs,” Abdulsalam said.
The CIGI Toastmasters Club, which was established in June 2006, is presently conducting its educational meeting every alternate Tuesdays in Gulf Durbar Hotel in Alkhobar from 7:15 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. “The club is open to all interested individuals irrespective of nationality, religion or sex,” he said.
Abdulsalam said the CIGI Dammam Chapter has been serving Indian students and professionals in the Eastern Province for development of their career and skills.
“We have plans to increase the reach of our activities to benefit the larger sections of the youth and professionals,” he said.
He said the Dammam chapter was gearing up for celebrations marking the 10th anniversary of the Calicut-based CIGI, a leading career counselor in the south Indian state of Kerala.
