Hello hello!
A while ago I started a small project for fun. Basically the idea is to connect local hosts with travelers, who will pay a small amount to stay at their places, eat traditional food etc. Think of it as couchsurfing but in very special places, like small villages in the jungle and so forth, and with people from different ethnic groups, often living relatively traditional lives.
Three homestays are in China. Two with mongol families and one with a Hani family in the tribal southwest. One homestay is in Macedonia. And one is in the Atlas mountains in Morocco! Soon perhaps some places in India will get added.
What makes this a bit exciting is that 100% of all the money spent will stay with the locals. I thought of it as a way to improve living standards for rural families in developing countries. In Inner Mongolia for example I believe that the average income for rural residents is about 200 USD per month. This means that in order to make a living, people have to give up their traditional ways of life and move to the cities to find work. If a few guests per month arrives, it would often be enough for a family not to have to split up.
So it's good for the locals, who get an income and nice guests, and for the tourists, who can visit places they would otherwise not be able to find. I just like to do it for fun and to learn something new and get new experiences and perhaps in the future to be able to earn something from it.
Right now it's possible to make requests about upcoming homestays in India. If you for example have always wanted to stay in a small indian fishing village along the coast or on a coconut farm, just have a look here and let me know:
http://anthropolodgy.com/index.php/2018/01/08/upcoming-homestays-in-india-make-a-request/
Also any thoughts and comments about the website (which is not so good) and the idea (which is better!) are appreciated! I thought that perhaps on an kind of alternative place like this, there would be some people who would find it interesting!