The Last Crumb

The year was 2014, July to be precise. I had just concluded chairing the organizing committee of the first and only Toastmasters Speech Fair and Annual Dinner event, a precursor to TEACON. This event had been a bold experiment, expanding on the traditional Toastmasters Annual Dinner by incorporating speech contests into an afternoon and evening affair. It broke many norms and conventions and succeeded thanks to a number of Toastmasters who were ready to support change.

One of those Toastmasters, SEMA Toastmasters President Anthony Wang'ondu, DTM soon afterwards sent me an intriguing email. Caren Wakoli, a member of his club, sought to introduce her Ethiopian friend who was seeking connections with Toastmasters across East Africa to form a district.

Now, I have a friend in Ethiopia called Yosef Fantu, a member of the Toastmasters Club in Ethiopia. He wrote to me asking to be connected to Toastmasters Kenya so that the clubs in Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia can come together to establish what he calls the East African District. He says there are five chartered clubs in Ethiopia, and with the alliance, it’s possible to get close to 20 clubs.

Anthony believed I could help, but at that moment, I had no idea what a Toastmasters District entailed. East Africa was essentially a Toastmasters island, grouped among other isolated regions classified as "undistricted." Yet, the success of the Speech Fair and my experiences leading the Early Birds Prospective Club had whetted my appetite for new challenges.

Yosef's email ignited a spark—a simple yet powerful dream of connecting East African Toastmasters. Our conversations quickly filled with enthusiasm, ideas flying back and forth like ping-pong balls in an intense match. It was exciting and fresh; we talked passionately about innovative ideas like his club's "So You Think You Can Speak" contest and imagined the incredible potential of a unified East African Toastmasters community.

But dreams, like businesses, rarely follow a straight line. Before we could even contemplate Toastmasters East Africa, we first had to grow Toastmasters Kenya. My breakthrough came when Early Birds finally chartered in October 2014—almost 18 months after we first started meeting. The delay wasn't due to a lack of enthusiasm or membership numbers, but rather a misunderstanding of the administrative processes required to charter a club. I carefully documented the lessons learned, noting both mistakes and successes, and resolved to try again—only this time, faster and with a dedicated team.

This determination gave rise to Roadmasters—a passionate group of adventurous Toastmasters who loved road trips, and whose mission was to "bring a Toastmasters club near you." The team included Maxmiller Keittany DTM, Nguru Wachira DTM, Momanyi Nyamboni DTM, Njeri Gathii DTM, Samson McOduol, Priscah Oketch DTM, Eunice Waweru, Stacey Alugo, Joshua Tahinduka DTM, and Gladys Muhunyo DTM. Together, we traversed Kenya, leaving new Toastmasters clubs and inspired club growth champions behind us.

 

Parallel to these efforts, the Speech Fair was upgraded by the late Dainah Kibera, a prolific Engage speaker and event organizer, into the spectacular "Best of Toastmasters Kenya" (BOTK), now a glamorous full-day event. As President of Early Birds Toastmasters, I helped advise the BOTK team based on my previous year's experience. BOTK was also intentional about inviting Toastmasters from across the region to attend, one of whom happened to be a student named Joshua Tahinduka from Rwanda. 

The success of BOTK gave hunger to an even bigger and better event the following year. To make it truly regional, BOTK was rebranded "Best of Toastmasters East Africa" (BOTEA) for 2016. At the same time, club growth champions from the newly chartered clubs, drunk in the adrenaline of starting clubs, were spreading the Toastmasters fire wherever they landed. Oltesh Thobias DTM soon organized a club growth visit to his hometown in October 2015, which saw the seeds planted for what would become Arusha Toastmasters. 

A few month's later The Roadmasters with the support of Chiromo Toastmasters Club in Nairobi, organized a club growth meeting to Dar-es-Salaam that helped launch Tanzania's first corporate club at Standard Chartered Bank in April 2016. 

By the time we hosted BOTEA in June 2016, not only was there true regional participation Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda but Joshua Tahinduka of 1 Rwanda Toastmasters emerged the winner of the2016 Best of Toastmasters East Africa Public Speaking Competition, an early version of the District International Speech Contest. Joshua wowed the audience by giving an impassioned speech that at one point saw him kneel as he delivered his powerful oratory.

Energized by his momentum, I proposed that a true regional event must have regional hosts and nominated Kigali as the next destination for BOTEA 2017. To seal the deal among the various presidents (there was no district structure), I offered a self-financed journey to Kigali in September to evaluate its potential to host BOTEA. The 2016 visit was incredible. We travelled as Roadmasters and connected with Rwanda’s remarkable Toastmasters community. I returned with a glowing report on Kigali's readiness and a determination to make it happen.

At this time, Rozy Rana, East Africa's first DTM, and who had attended several international Toastmasters conventions, had been having conversations with Toastmasters International. Her efforts transformed our energy into a directed goal. With 17 clubs across East Africa an email arrived from President Dan Rex in April 2017 urging us to aim for 20 chartered clubs to form a Territorial Council:

Dear Toastmasters Rozy, Karanja and Tahinduka,

Congratulations! The Board of Directors has approved the request to form a Territorial Council in the East African countries of Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda, contingent upon there being 20 paid clubs by June 30, 2017. We anticipate that this is possible, and that your team of leaders will work diligently to ensure a successful 

All hands went on deck. BOTEA in Kigali took on even greater significance. It wasn't just going to be a celebration. We needed to have a council meeting, hold elections, and get everyone on board with the dream of Toastmasters East Africa. It was a big project, but one I found Toastmasters' High Performance Leadership (HPL) program was uniquely suited to support. So together with Rozy and Joshua we took up the challenge; Rozy ensuring the meeting ticked all the administrative boxes required by Toastmasters International, Joshua convening the conference, and myself organizing a bus full of 65 Kenyans for an unforgettable five-day road trip to BOTEA in Kigali, Rwanda.

 

On 23rd June 2017, the dream came true. We successfully inaugurated the Territorial Council of East Africa at a glitzy BOTEA in Kigali, Rwanda, and I was elected Club Growth Director. Despite this milestone, Ethiopia was conspicuously absent. Adam Aberra, president of Jupiter's Toastmasters club, had initially intended to participate but encountered logistical hurdles that prevented this. The absence of one of our core member countries, made the conference feel incomplete, like running a marathon with only one shoe.

 

Determined to set things right, in my new role I rallied the The Roadmasters for our most exciting trip yet—a journey home, to the land of origins: Addis Ababa, in October 2017. As Roadmasters, we ensured there would be club growth training and Toastmasters meetings, but we also knew we were going to have fun. By showing how exciting it could be to meet Toastmasters from other countries, we hoped to woo Ethiopians to attend the renamed East African Toastmasters Conference 2018 in Nairobi.

Our arrival in Addis was exhilarating, I finally got to meet Yosef face to face after 3 years of chatting on email and Whatsapp. We were also warmly received by young, vibrant Toastmasters, including Ethiopis Tadesse, DTM, Emenet Ephrem, DTM and Mekedela Mekuria, DTM. The visit was punctuated by energetic club meetings, cultural and historical excursions, and the forging of deep bonds. I vividly recall our meeting at Jupiter Toastmasters, where, for the first time, I witnessed an actual toast during a meeting. The raw enthusiasm from our Ethiopian counterparts and the palpable sense of unity made it clear: we were planting seeds.

The harvest came quickly. At EATC 2018 in Nairobi, the International President, Balraj Arunasalam—a champion of new district growth—was the chief guest. He first landed in Kampala where the Uganda team impressed with their amazing growth and enthusiasm. 

He then headed to Nairobi where a full group of East Africans were eagerly waiting to host him in the conference.

Topping it all off was Yosef together with a strong Ethiopian delegation who arrived and engaged wholeheartedly. The camaraderie was infectious; conversations flowed effortlessly, and the unity we once only imagined had taken root. In the following months, we exchanged ideas, tackled challenges, and built dreams together.

Then came EATC 2019 in Kampala. Buoyed by increasing Ethiopian participation and my recent election as District Director, I took a bold step—I proposed Addis Ababa as the next host city to the Ethiopian team. The idea sparked excitement but was met with understandable concern. They felt their numbers were still low, and I reluctantly agreed that the logistics were daunting. But this was precisely the kind of challenge I relished.

Undeterred, I committed to supporting Ethiopia’s growth. I enlisted Rozy’s help in conducting Club Officer Training in June, and later that year, in December, I led a more structured club growth blitz in Addis. Thanks to the marketing efforts of Mekedela, the trip was well-coordinated. Alongside Regional 11 Advisor Sandra Cooper DTM, we spent several days visiting clubs, training leaders, and pitching Toastmasters to corporate giants—Unilever, Diageo, Coca-Cola, and Toyota. These weren't just pitches; they were bold visions to embed Toastmasters into Ethiopia’s corporate heart.

During the trip, we met a new generation of Toastmasters leaders, including a remarkable Vice President Education named Demelash. His energy—and that of others—convinced me: Ethiopia was ready. I challenged them to charter many more clubs and reach 24—the minimum required then to host two full divisions.

But then COVID struck in March 2020, disrupting the strong in-person connections we had built. The sprint to charter new clubs slowed, and the focus shifted to keeping the district afloat and adapting to a new way of operating.

Completing my term as District Director in June 2020 was deeply gratifying, yet slightly melancholic. We had navigated the COVID-19 upheaval remarkably well, achieving the prestigious Smedley Distinguished District status. Still, the dream of Addis hosting TEACON—and of Ethiopia joining the district leadership trio—remained unfulfilled. I kept in touch with the Toastmasters leaders I had met and grown with over the years, offering encouragement, advice, and even creating a hopeful mock poster for TEACON 2022 in Addis.

After retiring from the cabinet in July 2021 and with growing work and family responsibilities, I took a reflective hiatus in 2022. But in 2024, an email reignited my passion: Addis had been selected to host TEACON 2025. It was the culmination of a decade-long dream. Renewing my Toastmasters membership was a symbolic recommitment.

Finally, in May 2025, TEACON 2025 unfolded magnificently in Addis Ababa, exceeding every expectation. Surrounded by familiar and new faces, I felt deeply moved. So many people, more than I could name here had sacrificed their time, their money, and their energy to make this a reality. Memories surged—early email threads full of hope and dreams, creative solutions to cross-border logistical challenges, corporate club growth pitches followed by spicy injera washed down with tej, vigorous shoulder shaking dances, heartfelt interactions, and the quiet, persistent belief in our shared vision.

At that moment, clarity struck, my rallying call during my term was to Leave Nothing on the Table. With TEACON 2025 successfully concluded in Addis, and a strong leadership team in the District, Ethiopia was finally truly one with Toastmasters East Africa. I had Left Nothing on the Table. Every moment, every effort had led to this—a dream fully realized. It was a feeling of immense satisfaction, like savouring the very last crumb of a delightful meal.

And now, with that final bite taken, I'm done with my breakfast; it's time for lunch.