Home Life in Remote 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 15ft 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 a little walking area. The floor is typically either dirt or concrete.

Most of the homes have stick walls -- small trees and branches standing vertically -- and have cracks/openings all around. Some homes have concrete walls (a luxury). Windows are usually just louvered wooden slats made of local mahogany. Roofs are made of tin/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. A few homes have electricity for basic needs like a radio or small refrigerator. Clothes are hand washed and hung to dry on clothes lines outside the home.