Sarah Erdman was a Peace Corps volunteer in Ivory Coast for two years (1998-2000).

Her book about the experience, Nine Hills to Nambonkaha, is a engrossing account of her time as “…an educated Western woman living in a tiny, traditional, West African village on the cusp of change.”

This book is a must-read for anyone thinking of volunteering in Ghana, West Africa, or Africa in general.

Sarah started out with maternal and child health for local villagers. But by the end of her stay she focused on birth control and AIDS prevention.

I read it when it came out in 2003, after my first trip to West Africa. I was in Ghana for about one week visiting villages like the ones described by Sarah.

Ghana, which shares a border with Ivory Coast, seems to have many of the same healthcare problems, culture, and lives of the people as that country.