There is severe poverty in both urban and rural areas. There are many separate poverty problems in Texas. The poor black in Houston. the Mexican American in the slums of Laredo. the migrant worker who lives in a shack in south Texas need different approaches. different kinds of help. What is VISTA trying to accomplish in Texas? Four of the 13 current projects are in rural areas. Education. in the broadest sense of the word. is vital among the rural poor. most of whom are Mexican Americans whose only income comes from migrant work and seasonal farm labor. There are many rural areas where the average annual income of families is less than $3.000 a year. The median education level might be as low as 3.9 years.