Helwan, Egypt; rural smallholding

Helwan, Egypt, south of Cairo; rural smallholding. The crop in the foreground is sweet clover (melilotus species, called barsim by the Egyptians), grown for cattle fodder. The adobe house is typical of the subsistence farmer. There is no plumbing. The average Egyptian diet consists of bread, rice, legumes, seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables such as onions and tomatoes. Middle and upper income families regularly eat meat, poultry or fish. In the late 1970s, among low income families, it was shown that about 50% of children were inadequately nourished. In 1986, census returns showed that 69% of the population was under 30, and over 34% was aged 12 or under. Only 3% of Egyptians were 65 years or older. Photographed January 1990.