Busboys and Poets Books Presents HOW TO BE AN AMAZING VOLUNTEER OVERSEAS
Date and Time
Apr 19, 2022 6:30 pm
Location
Takoma
235 Carroll St NW, Washington, District of Columbia, 20012
Apr 19, 2022 6:30 pm
Takoma
"People who change the world are not necessarily 'special' people. They are everyday people who do not hesitate to respond to outside signals. Volunteering is about discovering what you can do and about getting to a point to take your own first steps. This book chronicles Susan's journey to discover herself - you'll enjoy being a co-traveller with her."
-- Professor Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate 2006
In just over 200 action-packed pages, HOW TO BE AN AMAZING VOLUNTEER OVERSEAS covers an enormous amount of ground in four key parts: 1) deciding to go on a volunteer trip, 2) preparing to travel, 3) adapting to a new country, and 4) readjusting to life back home. In a frank, authoritative and friendly voice, author Susan M. Gibson – a philanthropist who has been involved in the non-profit sector for more than 35 years and has worked and volunteered in 70 countries – guides readers through the unglamorous realities and gratifying rewards of volunteering and working abroad, balancing pragmatic information with personal anecdotes from her experiences.In HOW TO BE AN AMAZING VOLUNTEER OVERSEAS, Susan E. Gibson gives essential advice on how to decide what to do and where to go. HOW TO BE AN AMAZING VOLUNTEER OVERSEAS has been endorsed by leaders in the international development community, and is a must-read as borders begin to open up post-pandemic, and as purpose-driven Gen-Zers around the world look to broaden their horizons while making a positive impact.And most importantly, it will set you up to get the most out of your experience by learning from local leaders and contributing in a meaningful way. Net proceeds from book sales will go to support education programs in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Kenya and a First Nations community in Canada. Susan is joined on stage by Polly Dolan, the founder of Nurturing Minds, a non profit organization committed to educating Tanzanian girls.
Our program begins at 6pm, with an introduction from a member of our Busboys and Poets team, and will be followed by an audience Q&A. Signed copies of HOW TO BE AN AMAZING VOLUNTEER OVERSEAS will be available for purchase before, during and after the event. Copies may be purchased through Eventbrite. Please note that this event will not be livestreamed.
We recommend that viewers RSVP in order to receive direct links to the event from Busboys and Poets Books
Susan E. Gibson has been involved in the non-profit sector for more than 35 years. She has worked and volunteered in 70 countries. In 1992, Susan went to Bangladesh where she got her training in microfinance at Grameen Bank from Professor Muhammad Yunus. From 1992-2001, Susan was a consultant providing technical assistance and conducting workshops in team building, communications and microfinance principles for NGOs, UN agencies and donor governments. Currently she is a philanthropist actively engaged with NGOs in the areas of refugees, human rights and education for girls.
Susan has served on the board of the Thomson Reuters Foundation 2018-21, the International Rescue Committee (IRC-UK) 2012-18 and remains involved in refugee issues. She was Vice-Chair on the Carter Center UK board 2010-14 and was Co-Chair of the Human Rights Watch London Committee 2006-10. Susan was born and raised in Toronto, Canada and was based in New York in the 90s for her career in the development sector. For the last 20 years, she has lived in London, UK with her husband and teenage son. In July 2021, she and her family started a new chapter in Washington, DC. How To Be An Amazing Volunteer Overseas is her first book, released on October 19, 2021 with Barlow Books. Connect with Susan onnInstagram @amazingvolunteer and her website, www.AmazingVolunteer.com
Polly Dolan has been living and working alongside the people of Eastern and Southern Africa to help create and foster opportunities since 1996. After working in community development and environmental conservation in Uganda and Tanzania for the humanitarian organization CARE for six years, she became an independent consultant with a focus in the health, education, and vulnerable children programming areas. In 2007 during her 10th year in Tanzania, driven by her desire to help highly vulnerable Tanzanian girls gain a quality education to escape poverty and exploitation, Polly attained 23 acres of land which would become the future site of the SEGA Girls’ School, and co-founded Secondary Education for Girls’ Advancement (SEGA) in Morogoro, Tanzania with her colleague Blastus Mwizarubi.
At the same time Polly also enlisted the help of her sister Tracey Dolan to co-found the U.S.-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization Nurturing Minds with the mission: “To support quality education, life skills, and entrepreneurship to help vulnerable girls in Tanzania become leaders in their communities.” In 2008, Nurturing Minds committed to partnering with SEGA and to raising funds and providing technical expertise for the construction and development of the SEGA Girls’ School. Polly majored in Sociology at UVM and went on to earn a Master’s degree in international administration (international development) from the School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vermont. She has since returned to the U.S., and now resides in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, with her husband, John, and daughter, Martha.
