This is Selasoti, a young Arbore virgin. The Arbore People whose primary religion is Islam, are from the Omotic language family and live in Southern Ethiopia, south-west of the Omo Valley. Konso is the lingua franca in this area. They have ancestral and cultural links to the Konso people and perform many ritual dances while singing. The Tsemay people are their neighbouring tribe. Arbore people are pastoralists (livestock farmers). They believe that their singing and dancing eliminates negative energy and with the negative energy gone, the tribe will prosper. Omo Valley, Southern Ethiopia, 2013.
Hamar parents have a lot of control over their children, who herd the cattle and goats for the family. It’s the parents who give permission for the men to marry, and many don’t get married until their mid-thirties. Girls, on the other hand, tend to marry at about 17. Marriage requires ‘bride wealth’, a payment made to the woman’s family and generally made up of goats, cattle and guns. Omo Valley, Southern Ethiopia, 2013.
This is Nataere a young women from the Mursi tribe. Surrounded by mountains between the Omo River and its tributary the Mago, the home of the Mursi is one of the most isolated regions of the country. Their neighbours include the Aari, the Banna, the Bodi, the Kara, the Kwegu, the Nyangatom and the Suri. They are grouped together with the Me'en and Suri by the Ethiopian government under the name Surma. Omo Valley, Southern Ethiopia, 2013.
