Nairobi, Kenya (CNN) -- In the village of Angolo, in Sudan's South Kordofan state, villagers stand over a deadly and illegal weapon.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

One of the villagers in Mpala told Eden how excited she was to have electricity in her village for the first time, and that she dreamed of no longer needing to forage for firewood at the end of a long work day.

FORBES: A New Generation of Techonomists Are Driven To Change the World

For example, travellers can take part in Maasai village tours in Kenya, where nearly all of the tour fees once went to outside guides instead of the villagers.

BBC: How tourism can alleviate poverty

Nowadays, villagers often have their own, separate houses, but the longhouse is still the nucleus of the village, where ceremonies and celebrations take place and prayers are made at the spirit altar.

BBC: Borneo��s mystical Meratus Mountains