article_snippet: he explains: 'The roads on the east coast are very muddy and filled with potholes that workers have tried workers best to fix. '
article_snippet: The poverty in these rural villages is palpable.
article_snippet: From the comfy seat in my bus, I see old, dilapidated houses with roofs ready to collapse. '
article_snippet: However, the journey to the village and views from the bus windows reveal traces of the surrounding hardship experienced by locals. '
article_snippet: The guides wanted to hide from Lafforgue the reality of this life, but from my bedroom window, I can see emaciated oxes with carts full of wood and women carrying heavy loads.
article_snippet: Floods have washed away rice and corn fields in previous years, destroying a good part of the crops .
article_snippet: There is a disparaging difference between the attitudes of the children in metropolitan areas and those of the children in the rural areas.