I knew that people in Egypt are poor, but I did not expect to see houses without roofs and black and white TVs.

Ordinary Egyptians still watch black and white TVs and live in roofless houses.

The first thing that struck me strongly in Egypt was the overt division between rich and poor. The latter are more than 80%. Who was nobody, he will become everything - this does not happen here. If it is still possible to climb one step of the social ladder, then it is clearly not possible to jump from rags to riches. What remains poor and disadvantaged? Accept, live as the father lives, and hope for justice in the other world.

This is how poor areas are created, and inside there are family buildings, where both grandfather and father live, and the son and his sons will live. How does it all start? From the search for a successful piece of land. Yes, the poor here do not buy land, but simply "seize" it. Will they take it away? I do not think. It will have to be taken away from a thousand neighbors, but what to do with them all? How is it built? How the neighbor built. Without approvals, approvals, at your own peril and risk. Moreover, outwardly it resembles a monolithic frame technology. The foundation, columns are poured, then red brick walls are laid. Exterior decoration ends there, it is not customary to decorate houses outside - it is better to save money and buy furniture. This is how kilometers of dull monotony "flaunt", worsening the appearance of Cairo and creating a depressing reputation for it.

But this is not so bad. There are no real roofs in such houses either. Why? Because no one knows in advance how many floors the house will have. The overlap is poured, part of the columns with steel rods remains at the top. If a son is born, then he will build his own floor on top, another son - another floor. This is how family clans live in the same building. Which floor will be the last one? They don't know themselves. Again, they are guided by the experience of neighbors and "common" sense. Electricity in such houses is also "captured", they make wiring from the lighting of nearby highways, and distribute between buildings nearby. Electricity bills are borne by the municipality.

How are the dwellings arranged inside? Restrained and modest. Walls and ceilings are painted, furniture is bought depending on the possibilities. There are no air conditioners, but there are fans installed on the ceilings along with chandeliers. Once I got into such a house, I got the impression that I returned to my childhood in the times of the USSR. Shabby flowered sofas, wide desks, wooden stools and old tube TVs. By the way, TV is a must-have, even if it is small or black and white. This is the main and sometimes the only entertainment for those who will never see the world live.

In which countries have you seen the poorest houses?