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Africa, Angola, Luanda, portrait of two cheerful African boys with shaved head standing together in front of a wall
Near Omorate, people told me Dassanech tribe had a big celebration. I went there after a long walk under the sun and in the bush. More than 200 warriors with kalashnikovs were celebrating an agreement , as in the area, fights for cows, lands, etc are common. I was the only foreigner in the celebration, but as i had the approval of the chief, everything was ok. They started to kill some cows, make a giant BBQ, dance, chant, and then, they took the stomachs of the cows. i thought they were going to read the future as many tribes do. They did not: the all queued, a man opened the stomaches, and everybody took a piece of the content of the stomach and put it their chest, back, legs, arms, heads, and faces... For the babies, the mothers did it.
Everybody wanted to do the same on me... hard time for me!
© Eric Lafforgue
Mozambique, Ilha de Mozambique, portrait of a boy gesturing beside another boy, boy in foreground smiling with eyes closed
(c) Art in All of Us /Anthony Asael (a Corbis photographer)
Support our children programs through Art in All of Us
Images may not be copied, downloaded, reproduced, transmitted, manipulated or used in any way without expressed, written permission of the photographer.
The Hamar (or Hamer or Hammer) is a tribe with a total population of about over 35,000, which lives in Hamer Bena woreda, a fertile part of the Omo River valley, in the Debub Omo Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region (SNNPR). They are largely pastoralists, so their culture places a high value on cattle, the menaning of their life. There are at least 27 words for the subtle variations of colours and textures of a cattle! And each man has three names: a human, a goat and a cow name.
Honey collection is their major activity.They are as well semi nomadic and migrate every few months to find pastures for their goats and cattle. They have a special relationship with Bana-Bashada group than the others as they share a common language and culture.
Hamer society consists of a complex system of age groups. To pass from one age group to another involves complicated rituals. The bull-jumping is the most significant ceremony in the social life of the Hamer, the final test before passing into adulthood and in order to get married. The teen must jump naked over a number of bulls without falling. That is why we can mention it as cow jumping or bull leaping. If he is able to complete this task, he will become a man and be able to marry a woman.
The Hamar are very preoccupied with their beauty. They have at times spectacular haidresses.
Men use a wooden head rest which prevents the hair from touching the ground. It is used as head rest to protect the clay wig that some do on the top of the head, but it is also useful as a seat.
Women know many ways to do their hair. The most famous hair style is when their hair is in short tufts rolled in ochre and fat or in long twisted strands. These coppery coloured strands are called "goscha", it's a sign of health and welfare.
They also wear bead necklaces, iron bracelets around their arms, and decorate their breast with lots of cowry shells, like a natural bra.
Around married women's necks, you can see "esente": torques made of iron wrapped in leather. These are engagement presents; they are worn for life and indicate their husband's wealth. One of the necklaces catch more especially the attention: it is called the "bignere". It has a phallic-shape end. This jewelry can only be worn by a man's first wife.
Her statut is the higher one in Hamer society. The Hamar women who are not first wife have a really hard life and they are more slaves than wives...
The young unmarried girls, for their part, wear a kind of oval shape plate, in metal. It is used like a sunshield, but it tends to be rare in the tribe. Some of them have fund their future husband, but have to wait in their house until the so-called prentender can provide all the money for the ceremony: he has to pay for all the cows the bride-to-be's family asks for. These girls are called "Uta" and have to wait weeks, entirely covered with red clay... And no right to take baths or showers . They cannot go out of the house. Friends bring her food.
A cruel tradition still has currency for some Hamar: the babies who have the upper teeth first coming out, are abandonned in the bush. This tradition tends to disapear but NGO Omochild still save abandonned new borns in Jinka. Abandonments are all the more frequent than some Hamar believe that a child born out of formal marriages has "mingi", as to say something abnormal and unclean. For them, it is the expression of the devil, which may cause disasters such as epidemics or drought in the village. So, illegitimate children are abandoned. This kind of beliefs can also be observed in other Ethiopan tribes.
The weekly markets in Turmi and Dimeka are meeting points where tourist observation and photography can be satisfy against money.
© Eric Lafforgue
Tuvalu, Funafuti, close-up portrait of smiling boys
(c) Art in All of Us /Anthony Asael (a Corbis photographer)
Support our children programs through Art in All of Us
Images may not be copied, downloaded, reproduced, transmitted, manipulated or used in any way without expressed, written permission of the photographer.
A cruel tradition still has currency for some Hamar: the babies who have the upper teeth first coming out, are abandonned in the bush. This tradition tends to disapear but NGO Omochild still save abandonned new borns in Jinka. Abandonments are all the more frequent than some Hamar believe that a child born out of formal marriages has "mingi", as to say something abnormal and unclean. For them, it is the expression of the devil, which may cause disasters such as epidemics or drought in the village. So, illegitimate children are abandoned. This kind of beliefs can also be observed in other Ethiopan tribes.
The weekly markets in Turmi and Dimeka are meeting points where tourist observation and photography can be satisfy against money.
© Eric Lafforgue
Eritrea, Asmara, close-up of two happy cheerful boys
The Bodi (or Meen) tribe lives close to the Omo River in southern Ethiopia (Omo Valley) and has the Mursi tribe as south neighbor and Konso at north; It is a pastoral and agricultural tribe, thus livestock plays a large role in the tribe; Along the banks of the river, they cultivate sorghum, maize and coffee;
For their new year in June, called Kael, Bodi men consume large amounts of blood and milk to become overweight; This tradition measures the body fat of a contestant; Each family or clan is allowed to present an unmarried contestant; The winner of this contest is awarded great fame by the tribe; The women in the tribe wear goatskin skirts and have a plug inserted into their chin; Most of them are now Christians;
In Hana Mursi, the main town of the Bodis, the government plans to settle 300 000 people from all over Ethiopia over the next few years; Along with the workers and soldiers, AIDS and Hepatitis B are coming too; The Bodi tribespeople do not want to give up their traditions and their land to allow the new sugar cane plantations irrigated by the water of Gibe 3 dam, and live in the settlements planned by the government
© Eric Lafforgue
Burundi, Bujumbura, schoolboys sitting on chairs and enjoying by school wall
(c) Art in All of Us /Anthony Asael (a Getty photographer)
Support our children programs through Art in All of Us
Images may not be copied, downloaded, reproduced, transmitted, manipulated or used in any way without expressed, written permission of the photographer.
Near Omorate, people told me Dassanech tribe had a big celebration. I went there after a long walk under the sun and in the bush. More than 200 warriors with kalashnikovs were celebrating an agreement , as in the area, fights for cows, lands, etc are common. I was the only foreigner in the celebration, but as i had the approval of the chief, everything was ok. They started to kill some cows, make a giant BBQ, dance, chant, and then, they took the stomachs of the cows. i thought they were going to read the future as many tribes do. They did not: the all queued, a man opened the stomaches, and everybody took a piece of the content of the stomach and put it their chest, back, legs, arms, heads, and faces... For the babies, the mothers did it.
Everybody wanted to do the same on me... hard time for me!
© Eric Lafforgue
Just a quick snap of Hunter and his friend .... We have one daughter moving out with her two kids and one getting married in a week so it is somewhat of a madhouse around here at the min. I just want to let all of you know that i appreciate all of you and miss being on Flickr like i used to be , hopefully all will settle down within a week or so and i will be able to do more on here !!! May the Sun smile upon you and you have a blessed day and i will see you soon ...so to speak !
The Eritrean Railway was constructed between 1887 and 1932 for the Italian colony of Eritrea, and connected the port of Massawa with Bishia near the Sudan border, the line was essentially destroyed by war with Ethiopia, but has been rebuilt between Massawa and Asmara, old steam trains are still used on this line for the tourists
© Eric Lafforgue
The Hamar (or Hamer or Hammer) is a tribe with a total population of about over 35,000, which lives in Hamer Bena woreda, a fertile part of the Omo River valley, in the Debub Omo Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region (SNNPR). They are largely pastoralists, so their culture places a high value on cattle, the menaning of their life. There are at least 27 words for the subtle variations of colours and textures of a cattle! And each man has three names: a human, a goat and a cow name.
Honey collection is their major activity.They are as well semi nomadic and migrate every few months to find pastures for their goats and cattle. They have a special relationship with Bana-Bashada group than the others as they share a common language and culture.
Hamer society consists of a complex system of age groups. To pass from one age group to another involves complicated rituals. The bull-jumping is the most significant ceremony in the social life of the Hamer, the final test before passing into adulthood and in order to get married. The teen must jump naked over a number of bulls without falling. That is why we can mention it as cow jumping or bull leaping. If he is able to complete this task, he will become a man and be able to marry a woman.
The Hamar are very preoccupied with their beauty. They have at times spectacular haidresses.
Men use a wooden head rest which prevents the hair from touching the ground. It is used as head rest to protect the clay wig that some do on the top of the head, but it is also useful as a seat.
Women know many ways to do their hair. The most famous hair style is when their hair is in short tufts rolled in ochre and fat or in long twisted strands. These coppery coloured strands are called "goscha", it's a sign of health and welfare.
They also wear bead necklaces, iron bracelets around their arms, and decorate their breast with lots of cowry shells, like a natural bra.
Around married women's necks, you can see "esente": torques made of iron wrapped in leather. These are engagement presents; they are worn for life and indicate their husband's wealth. One of the necklaces catch more especially the attention: it is called the "bignere". It has a phallic-shape end. This jewelry can only be worn by a man's first wife.
Her statut is the higher one in Hamer society. The Hamar women who are not first wife have a really hard life and they are more slaves than wives...
The young unmarried girls, for their part, wear a kind of oval shape plate, in metal. It is used like a sunshield, but it tends to be rare in the tribe. Some of them have fund their future husband, but have to wait in their house until the so-called prentender can provide all the money for the ceremony: he has to pay for all the cows the bride-to-be's family asks for. These girls are called "Uta" and have to wait weeks, entirely covered with red clay... And no right to take baths or showers . They cannot go out of the house. Friends bring her food.
A cruel tradition still has currency for some Hamar: the babies who have the upper teeth first coming out, are abandonned in the bush. This tradition tends to disapear but NGO Omochild still save abandonned new borns in Jinka. Abandonments are all the more frequent than some Hamar believe that a child born out of formal marriages has "mingi", as to say something abnormal and unclean. For them, it is the expression of the devil, which may cause disasters such as epidemics or drought in the village. So, illegitimate children are abandoned. This kind of beliefs can also be observed in other Ethiopan tribes.
The weekly markets in Turmi and Dimeka are meeting points where tourist observation and photography can be satisfy against money.
© Eric Lafforgue