I've been reading some books about poverty and third world disease (e.g.) and about Africa. One of these books is Emma's War, a tale of a white aid worker from England who ends up marrying a Sudanese war lord. The story and book are very interesting, and also important.
One scene in the book has been haunting me.
The description is of some sort of social event in England. The writer (herself someone who has spent a lot of time in Africa) meets another woman at the party, and says to herself...
She had the look. I could see it in her eyes. The look of someone who has been there. The look of someone who has seen the worst of humanity, who has seen thousands die of starvation or genocide. The look that will never go away, and one which is instantly recognizable by anyone else who has been there.
As for third world places with lots of poverty, I've been to Sao Paulo, Haiti, Cuba and China.