Visit Local; Reach Global

When I lived in Lancaster County area, much of the tourist activities were there, but not the greatest. There were a few places to find buggy rides, visit Amish farms, and the ubiquitous quilt trails, but we tended to remain away from them. On a funny side note, I've done most of the tourist things (Maid of the Mist in Niagara Falls, quilt trails in Lancaster) while living in the other location.

One place which did not exist when I lived in Lancaster area was HOPE International. This company works with communities and individuals in developing countries to build their economic infrastructure through microloans and community banks.

Headquartered in Lancaster PA (actually northwest of the city), they offer a walk through display called Pathways out of Poverty.

Screenshot from Pathways out of Poverty website

Last March, while back in Lancaster for a book signing, my mom and I took the opportunity to visit the display. It's free-of-charge, but they do recommend you sign up before you arrive. The website has a form you can fill out and someone contacts you to finalize the days.

Having been to Lancaster a multitude of times, I thought it would be easy to find the building ... not so much. While HOPE has a large sign facing Route 30, you can't reach the building from 30, but have to take the next exit, turn around and go in that way. That being said - make certain you have directions.

Once inside HOPE's offices, they staff is helpful. The Pathways out of Poverty consists of an audio recording which has someone explaining the gallery for you. The first room is a community in Kenya, and the guide is the daughter who lives in the house. This proceeds around the world from Kenya to India to Belarus, to the US, to South America. In each location, you learn about a different part of the world and how poverty looks.

Personally, I thought I had a good handle on world poverty ... until I walked through the display. One thing that surprised me was the smell. Somehow, they had managed to incorporate the scents of places, not the olfactory overload, but the scent that comes from items from those locations.

If you're visiting Lancaster area, and want an indoor activity, but not with bonnets and buggies, this tour is something that might interest you.