Sarah Erdman

It started out slowly and I began to wonder what exactly her Peace Corp mission was but it did take shape and I enjoyed her voice of living in this small village and becoming part of it. My main problem was her romanitizing of the traditional ways. "They have electric lights but I prefer the stars." "I missed the tik tok of the mortar and pestle." She was happy to fight local traditions for the health outcomes but seemed blind to other advantages. However, her great love of the people and the village really shone through and it was a very enjoyable read.… (altro)

Erdman relates the stories of the two years she spent as a Peace Corps volunteer in a small village in the Ivory Coast in Africa in the late 1990’s. I had to look up the copyright date after I started the book; was the book taking place in the 1990’s or the 1890’s? It could have been either based on the lives of the villagers. No running water, no electricity. Mothers didn’t know the birthdates or even the ages of their children. Very little reading or writing. No knowledge of birth control or ways to combat disease. Little knowledge of the outside world. Where should Erdman, assigned to the little village as a health care worker, start? She begins to teach the mothers about their babies, how to help them gain weight, getting them immunized, and gradually begins to help them learn about ways to avoid getting AIDS and about birth control. In the end, she feels a deep sense of accomplishment in her work in the village.My new favorite travel story.… (altro)