Magyarország számos megyéjében élnek életvitelszerűen és kényszerűen földutak mellett, melyek száma elképesztően magas. Az ország útjainak mindössze 38 százalékát fedi szilárd útburkolat, ez az arány Nyugat-Európában 96 százalék és a különbség ennél is nagyobb a külterületeken. A földutak menti mindennapi problémák egyik jelképes települése a Csongrád megyei Csanytelek, ahol a lakosság harmada él földutak mellett – a Tisza közelében pedig olyan a talaj, hogy esős időben mind járhatatlanná válnak. Itt is, mint sok más hasonló településen, nemhogy a mentő nem ér oda 15 percen belül egy infarktusos beteghez, ennyi idő alatt még egy traktort sem könnyű találni, amely behúzná a beteghez a rohamkocsit.
A tanyavilágok elnéptelenedése, a vidéki elvándorlás és a szegénység terjedése is jellemzi a ”Sárvidéket”. Az Európai Bizottság által kiadott adatok szerint például minden harmadik magyar, azaz 3,3 millió ember él szegénységben, a mélyszegénység pedig 1,2 millió magyart érint, ami egy 9,9 millió lakosú országban elképesztően nagy szám.
Mindezek mellett pedig a vidéki Magyarország komoly problémája az elvándorlás. Az ifjú és középkorú magyarok jelentős hányada már megkezdte a kivándorlás tervezését, hogy elhagyja az országot. Jelenleg több mint 600.000 magyar él külföldön az Európai Unióban.
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- People living along the dirty roads say everything gets destroyed in the mud. The house, the car, the bikes and even the footwear.
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- István Kiss in his home that is surrounded by dirt roads in Tömörkény. His disability pension is 140 Euros. István passed away last year.
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- Widowed Balázsne Bende and her daughter Nórika live on a farm, which you can get to along an embankment built from clay.
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- Janos poses with his dog at his farm in Csanytelek, Csongrád country. For the people who live along and near dirts road mud is a constant problem, just as well walking and getting around in mud.
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- János’s horse on the outskirts of Tömörkény in Csongrád county
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- Lajos of Csanytelek at the forefront of his house, selecting springs of mattresses for selling them as metal waste. Besides poverty the village struggles with the inconvenience of dirt roads.
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- The wall of Lajos Kovács’ house in Csanytelek. Most of those living in “Mud Country” have great difficulties maintaining their house.
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- Luca lives with his mother and grandfather in their home in Csanytelek, Csongrád County together with her five brothers. According to the latest data almost half of young children live in poverty in Hungary.
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- Damage caused by inland waters on the wall of the Darnai family’s house.
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- Ilona is a public worker. The only other source of income for their family is her husband’s invalidity benefits of 145 Euros per month. Living on a paid job is almost impossible and eventually seems beyond hope for most of the poor. Ilona passed away last year.
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- Cemetery in Csanytelek.
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- Agricultural labour in “Mud Country”. Tractors are not only of use for work in the walk-in plastic tunnel.
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- Viktor lives with his parents and 5 brothers in their home in Csanytelek.
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- Mária and her daughter, Luca preparing for school early in the morning. Most of the families of “Mud Country” must spend almost all their income for raising the children and covering their most basic needs.
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- Anna Sebők walks in front of her house at Csanytelek. She has been living here for the past 58 years. The majority of the youth move to nearby cities as soon as they can, resulting in a relatively high number of people living alone in “Mud Country”.
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- Abandoned house at Csanytelek, Csongrád county. There are an increased number of abandoned buildings in “Mud Country” that after a time become one with nature.
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- Public workers at the village of Tömörkény.
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- The retired Lajos Kovács in front of his own young-age portrait in the only small room of his house.
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- Lamb in a pit in front of a house in Tömörkény. Only a few families of “Mud Country” can afford to have livestock.
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- The 15-year-old Zsolt poses at his father’s farm near a farm settlement, Tömörkény.
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- Lunch at the Borsos’ in Csanytelek, Hungary. Mária and József raise 6 children. Most of the families of this village must spend almost all their income for raising the children and covering their most basic needs.
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- At Csanytelek, in county Csongrád 35 per cent of the population lives along dirt roads.
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- Luca and Bence Borsos watching television in the evening in their house.
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- Pig slaughter at Csanytelek. Pig slaughter is an old tradition in Eastern Europe and it is still a frequent event in the countryside in winter.
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- Guest having a drink of pálinka (Hungarian spirit) at the Borsos’ house. Alcohol consumption is a serious problem in Hungary, 800 thousand people of the population of 10 million is affected by alcohol dependence. The number of so-called dedicated drinkers may reach 2,5 million.
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- The outer roads belong to the local municipalities; their small finances are mainly concentrated on the inner areas. And the ministries are simply not concerned with the dirt roads in the outer areas and suburbs.
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- Mária Veres, in her home that is surrounded by dirt roads. Mária’s husband died years ago. They bought the farm together on loans and ever since then the retired disable woman pays the mortgage alone.
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- Half of the people between the ages of 19 and 30 years would like to work abroad.
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- József and his wife in front of their hut. The pair built an own hut after many years of the homelessness in Tiszaföldvár.
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- The shepherd dogs usually get to eat the dead lambs on the farmlands of Tömörkény.