Ethiopia

I am a driver and a tour guide

I’m Abel Girma; I’m 33 years old. I am a driver and a tour guide. I grew up at Addis Ababa. After my mom passed away, my father married another woman. I have a sister, and she works abroad at an airline company, so I live with my grandmother.

I used to chew khat; it makes you high and it’s more intense than coffee, however, it is addictive. Now I’ve quit it, and I haven’t chewed it for the last two years.

In my opinion, the local tourism is a smokeless industry in which everyone wins and the money that comes from it is distributed to all of my people evenly.

I speak Amharic, English, and a little bit of German. I have been working as a driver for seven years. For the last two years, I have had my tour guide license. I work for this company as a driver, and also I organize private tours for additional income.

I want to have my own tourism company in the future, but to accomplish this, first I need to make a decent network. I know that when I give my best service to as many people as I can, they’ll refer me to others.

Abel Girma
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 19 November 2018

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I wish my children to grow up in peace

My name is Labuma, I’m the eldest son of the Dasenach Tribe’s chief, and I will be the next chief.

I am married, and I have two wives with seven children. I don’t know my age exactly because we count years with the flood of the Omo River, however, it stopped flooding after a dam was built on it.

We have a big and fertile land; we have our cattles, goats, and also the Omo River gives us plenty fish to catch.

I wish my children to grow up in peace; this is all I expect from life.

Labuma
Omorate, Ethiopia, 13 November 2018

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I'll help the world to learn about my people

I’m Otayto Otoma from the Konso Tribe. I am a seller. I sell cultural gifts such as bracelets and necklaces. I am seventeen years old. Next year, I’ll be eligible to throw the stone over my head to show that I’ve matured enough to get married.

In our tribe, the family chooses the bride; I’m sure my mom will choose a suitable girl for me who is beautiful and hard-working.

I have two brothers and three sisters; I’m the second one, and none of us have been married yet. I learned English at school. I’m an 8th grader now. In the morning, I go to school, and I sell jewellery to the tourists in the afternoon.

When I finish my schooling, I want to be a tour guide. I hope to enter the exams, pass them all, and help the world to learn about my people.

Otayto Otoma
Gamole Walled Village, Ethiopia, 17 November 2018

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I am happy with my life, thanks to Allah

My name is Keire Salia, and I’m 50 years old. I have eight children. Except for one, all of them are married. I have two grandchildren who are living with me. I am happy with my life, thanks to Allah.

We grow different types of cereals and corn. We bring water from the nearby stream bed with donkeys. But now, I want to buy a cattle, İnşallah.

Keire Salia
Butajira, Ethiopia, 18 November 2018

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10 December 2018
Sibel Razzon
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1249

My name is Olagery. I belong with the Mursi tribe. We live in Omo Valley, between the Mago and Omo Rivers in Southern Ethiopia. I am 31 years old. I have two brothers and three sisters. I have three wives. In our tribe, we are able to marry more than one wife. In order to marry a woman, a man has to have enough cattle to give to her father.

In our tribe, wealth is measured by the number of cattle you own. I have 18 cows. I have been very sad because some of my cows have died from illnesses. Nowadays, I am trying to increase the number of my cattle.

I have six sons and three daughters. They live with their mothers respectively in the houses that I built.

We have scars on our bodies. We make the scars with razor blades. Then, we rub dirt into the wounds to make them permanent. A Mursi design of skin scarification which is applied on left shoulder of a man announces his passing into adulthood.

We used to carry large sticks (dongas) for fighting. But nowadays, we replaced them with AK-47 rifles.

Our main nutritional source is a kind of dry porridge which is made from sorghum or maize. We mix it with milk and blood which is taken directly from a cut from the neck of the cattle. We also practice limited agriculture in our community.

I am happy living here and hope to live here till the end of my days.

Olagery
Ethiopia, 9 October 2018