Children in the town of Jinka. Omo Valley, Southern Ethiopia, 2013.

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.