Meet Kato from the Hamer tribe. Kato lives in a small village near the town of Turmi together with her husband and his other two wives. Kato is the third wife as symbolized by the two metal necklaces she wears. This makes Kato more of a slave than a wife. Because they live so close to a town, her family has become to rely on the products which are on offer in Turmis' weekly market. In order to afford this, Kato is made to walk for hours with a heavy load of firewood on her back which she tries to sell to locals. Like all Hamer women, Kato braids her hair and then applies a deep red clay mixed with animal fat to it. This custom is a very important one for Kato and all Hamer women as it makes them more attractive.
Meet Dara from the Karo tribe. Dara, like all Karo people, enjoys decorating herself with paint and flowers found in the nearby slopes leading down to the Omo River. Dara has pierced a hole on her lower lip in which she places a metal nail, or in this case a flower for adornment. Dara has no clothes other than a long skirt made of cowhide. She lives in a small hamlet known as Konso, found on a plateau overlooking the stunning Omo River. Every afternoon before darkness Dara descends the steep slopes down to the river, and after washing herself she returns with heavy containers filled with water used for cooking and drinking.
Meet Lago from the Arbore tribe. Lago is a married woman who lives with her husband, her husband's two other wives and their four children in a small village deep in the Omo Valley. Lago has to accept her husband's right to beat her sometimes when he feels she deserves it. One of the guidelines for such behavior is that her husband must beat all his wives equally. Failing that, he risks being beaten himself by other male members of the community. Lago was circumcised as part of her wedding celebrations and her hair was then allowed to grow. Her hair now indicates her status as a married woman. Lago owns a small herd of goats from where she gets the milk to feed her children. Her many necklaces form part of her few possessions and she rarely takes them off, even for sleeping. The most treasured part of the decoration is the metal strap (old wrist watch) which she proudly wears as a center piece.
