The longer you look

As humans it is natural to make assumptions based on what we know. The further we stretch our understanding of other peoples and cultures the more open we become to accepting the differences in ourselves and those around us.
This Tanzanian village house at first glace may look impoverished and in need of roof repair to some. Upon closer inspection you will notice the lush sunflower crop in the background. This means that the family has oil for cooking and possibly for selling. The hen house is up off of the ground which means that the area floods during rainy season and that this person doesn't have to put the hens in the main house during that time like some do. There is a pile of beans in the foreground which also means that this family has land down by the water source and is planting beans for food and also increase the nitrogen in the soil which ensures a better crop next season.
They may not have running water or electricity but these people are pretty well off.

Rugby General Store

This post office and general store is located in Historic Rugby Tennessee on the Cumberland Plateau. The community here is perserving this Victorian village founded in the 1880's by the British.

A wee village by the sea

Gearrannan Black House Village. In 1989 the inhabitants of the Isle of Lewis restored these houses to their original splendor. One of them is a hostel and for a wee price you can sleep, cook and marvel inside one of these incredible structures. Dun-Carloway Broch, an Iron Age dwelling, is within walking distance of Gearrannan, and the famous pre-historic Callanish Standing Stones are only six miles away.

Waiting for dinner

Village Elder Tanzania