Give with Gratitude: What the Senegalese Know About the Secret to Happiness

When you think of Africa, what comes to mind? Using the power of story-telling, Katie Krueger challenges her audience to look at the continent through a different lens. Turn away from the image of despair, poverty, disease, war and famine. Instead imagine hospitality, wisdom, brilliant linguists, progress, and peace.

While living and studying in Dakar, Senegal in 2004 as a Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholar, Katie sought the secret to happiness that all of the Senegalese seemed to share. By learning through language, travel, friendship, and love, Katie distilled the secret into six distinct lessons. Katie inspires her audience to live their life full of gratitude.

Katie is the co-founder of Project Japale Gouné, a nonprofit school lunch program in Dakar, Senegal. Through its school lunch program, this organization serves over 10,000 meals each year to 200 low-income students. Katie brings to life the challenges of international social entrepreneurship. While her talk brings the audience to a higher level of thinking, it also shares practical advice for students interested in social entrepreneurship, language learning, and other adventures.

Katie’s book, Give with Gratitude: Lessons Learned Listening to West Africa, chronicles the story of how the cultural lessons she learned in Senegal inspired the creation of the lunch project.  Chapters from her book have been published in the San Francisco Chronicle, Utne Reader, and the Travel Channel’s World Hum.

Katie has lived, studied, or worked in five continents and speaks five languages to varying degrees. She has taught many online workshops related to travel and storytelling. Katie  holds an MBA in entrepreneurship from the Wisconsin School of Business. She is also available for in person presentations through Melibee Global.  She currently works at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Department of Information Technology as a Content Strategist and in the marketing department as an adjunct lecturer.

Radio Interview: Click to listen to an interview with Katie Krueger.

Feedback on Katie Krueger:

“Katie Krueger’s reflections of her time in Senegal are told with humor, clarity and and deep appreciation for the Senegalese people and their culture. This would be a a perfect text for a common-reading program at a university or a book club. It is a beautifully written piece that it also entertaining and educational.”  (Amazon.com review)

“This book is filled with vivid details and charming anecdotes. It is a wonderfully inspirational story that brings to life the Senegalese people and culture. It made me want to go visit! I can’t wait to read more from this author.” (Amazon.com review)