The peach state - part 4

Georgia - part 4

(Sightseeing)

January 26, 2108 - January 29, 2018

One day we drove over to Plains, Georgia, Jimmy Carter's home town.  He still lives there - all these years later.  We first visited the school where he graduated from High School.

Miss Julia, pictured above, was his favorite teacher and had a profound effect on the future president.

I'd say Miss Julia was a smart woman!

Typical schoolroom in the Plains High School.

Jimmy went on to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis.  After graduation in 1946 he married Rosalynn Smith, also from Plains, then joined the Navy.  He served on submarines for about 8 years.

After his father died he left the Navy to return home to run his family's peanut business which he expanded.

He entered politics in 1963 fueled by the Civil Rights Movement.  He served in the Georgia Senate for 1963-1967, was the Governor of Georgia from 1970-1975, then began an unlikely run for President.  He surprised a lot of people when he defeated incumbent Gerald Ford.

Laura sitting at a replica of the President's Resolute Desk.

During his Presidency he established two new cabinet level departments, the Dept. of Energy and the Dept. of Education.

In light of our current political situation I especially like this quote from Jimmy Carter.

President Carter was defeated by Ronald Reagan in 1980.  In 1982 he set up the Carter Center as his base to advance Human Rights.

In 2002 Jimmy Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in co-founding the Carter Center.

Jimmy grew up on a farm in Plains.  Although his family was fairly wealthy their home was relatively modest.

Front Porch

Living Room

Dining Room

Breakfast Room

Kitchen

Master Bedroom

Jimmy's Bedroom

Jimmy's sister's bedroom.

While camped in Americus, GA we discovered that the world headquarters of Habitat for Humanity was located there.  They also have an exhibit of the types of homes they build all around the world.  It's called Global Village and on our way out of town we went to see it. 

I've always thought that Habitat for Humanity was started by Jimmy Carter but that turned out to be untrue.  Although the Carters have been involved with Habitat for many years, it was started by another local couple, Millard and Linda Fuller.  It was officially begun in 1976 (the same year Jimmy Carter became President) and according to their website:

...Habitat now works in nearly 1,400 communities across the U.S. and in approximately 70 countries and has helped 9.8 million people achieve strength, stability and independence through safe, decent and affordable shelter.

The global village begins with a walk through typical slum housing found in many cities around the world.  You really have to have a sense of what life is like for its inhabitants before you can appreciate the homes Habitat for Humanity builds.  Here are some pictures of actual slums in various countries.

And here are some pictures from the slum area of the Global Village.  In a normal slum the distance between the buildings would be much much closer.  U.S. building codes don't allow that.

The homes built by Habitat for Humanity are built for and with the people who will inhabit them.  They must participate in the construction and pay back any loans they receive.  It's sweat equity in a very real sense.  You will be amazed at the simplicity of these homes but the change it makes to these peoples lives is dramatic.  Because Habitat for Humanity looks at the slums as a community of people, they try to build enough homes to include many members of the community, thus keeping groups of people together.   By our standards, the homes are very basic, but when you've moved from a slum these homes must feel like mansions.

Typical of homes built in Mexico (above and below)

Typical of homes built in Guatemala (above and below)

Typical of homes built in Haiti (above and below)

Typical of homes built in Kenya (above and below)

Typical of homes built in Botswana (above and below)

Typical of homes built in Malawi (above and below)

Typical of homes built in Ghana (above and below)

Typical of homes built in Zambia (above and below)

Typical of homes built in Uganda (above and below)

Typical of homes built in South Africa (above and below)

Typical of homes built in Democratic Republic of Congo (above and below)

Typical of homes built in Tanzania (somehow I missed taking the exterior!)

Typical of homes built in India (above and below)

Typical of homes built in Sri Lanka (above and below)

Typical of homes built in Papua New Guinea (above and below)

Example of three homes built by Habitat in the US.

I am in awe of an organization so dedicated to helping the poorest among us build better lives.  I wish I could say I've helped on one of their projects but I haven't.  There's still time.  If any of you have helped on a Habitat project at some point - Thank you!