Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Home life in small villages

I wanted to share a sense of what home life is like for most of the villages we've visited. Most homes are only about 14ft by 18ft and are divided into 3 rooms by drapes or thin paneling. Typically, one room is a living area and two small rooms are just big enough for a bed (which many share) and some walking area. The floor is concrete.

Walls are made from various materials. Some are made from small trees and branches standing vertically and have cracks/openings all around. Others are made of lumber. And some houses have concrete block walls.

Windows are either open or have louvered wooden slats. Roofs are typically sheets of corrugated metal or thatch. Some have doors and some just door openings.

Kitchens are commonly a few feet away from the home to minimize the risk of home fires and to keep smoke out of the house. They have only 3 walls. Food is cooked in pots above burning wood on a small wooden or concrete table. The wood smolders for most of the day.

Some homes have running water spigots for drinking and filling wash buckets. Out-houses are standard. Some homes have electricity for basic needs like a radio or small refrigerator. Clothes are hung to dry on lines outside the home.

Children entertain themselves by either kicking a ball, riding a bike or playing a game or two.

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