Contestants of the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant PNG have successfully completed four weeks of public speaking and communications skills training.
The training, conducted by PNG Toastmaster’s Division Director, Monica Toisenegila, and Vice President Education of Komuniti Toastmasters Club, Okera Amini, will help prepare the contestants for Pageant Week next month.
During presentation of certificates on Sunday (8 October), Ms Toisenegila said the tailor-made training was titled ‘The Speechcraft’.
“The Speechcraft is a program module of Toastmasters International Success Communication Series. This program is designed to help individuals develop public speaking skills and delivered by competent Toastmasters. It is structured and run like a condensed Toastmasters club meeting with short educational lessons with coaching at the end of each session over a period of six weeks.”
Ms Toisenegila said Miss Pacific Islands Pageant PNG and Toastmasters have a common goal, which was education.
“Whilst MPIP PNG is using the Pageant as a platform to find cultural ambassadors to represent our country in the region and the funds raised go towards tertiary education of female students in PNG, Toastmasters is in this partnership to assist and empower our young ambassadors to showcase their intellect and talent as proud Papua New Guinean women through confident public speaking.”
Toastmasters is an organisation which serves as a platform for individual growth by improving communication skills; and team growth by improving one’s leadership skills.
“Once they stepped up and took on different roles at every meeting, they improved their listening, observation, presentation and decision making skills,” Ms Toisenegila said before awarding certificates.
Chairperson of the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant (MPIP) PNG, Mrs Molly O’Rourke,: “We have been working with Toastmasters PNG for several years now on adhoc basis but this is the first year that we have had a structured program delivered by them.
“We are very delighted with the results as we have seen our contestants become more confident, more poised and more assertive.”
O’Rourke explained that public speaking is an important skill as the contestants will be judged when they deliver four-minute speeches on topics relevant to PNG and the region.
She added that the Toastmasters Club would provide one-on-one mentoring sessions to contestants individually to prepare them for their topic presentations, which will be on November 10; the eve of the Crowning Ball which will be held on November 11.
She thanked the following organisations for their assistance in the training: Toastmasters PNG, Transport and Port Services/Steamships (for the use of their boardroom as venue for the training) and Ela Beach Hotel / Coral Sea Hotels (conference room for the graduation ceremony) – which were all provided free of charge.