The Himba

 
We were taken to go see the Himba tribe. I must confess that it was something that I had been really looking forward to for a long time. Maybe just because the Himba are such a symbol of Namibia, of the old ways of Africa. And of course, simply because I think they are incredibly fascinating.

The place we were taken had been set up for 17 years, and was actually an orphanage for Himba children. They are brought there and the Himba women look after them. The son of the village chief took us on a tour of the village, and translated for us when we had questions.






I learnt that the Himba men wear modern clothing, while the women still wear their traditional outfits. If the children wear chunky necklaces (like this teenage girl) it means that they are not yet married. The women wear metal bracelets that look almost like cuffs around their ankles, which protect them from potential snake bites when their collecting water. These bracelets also have a decorative stripe down them. If there is one, it means the woman has only one child. If the cuff has two stripes, it means they have two or more children.















The red 'paint' they use on their skin is made from a special kind of clay, mixed with a variety of other substances including animal fat. The women put it on every single morning, which takes three hours. It protects their skin from the sun and tick bites, and it also acts as a cleansing method, They put it on and then dry it using a sort of smoking pot device.

We walked around the village and was taken into the chiefs hut. It's built directly in front of the animal pen. The 'doorway' of the pen, and the chiefs hut are facing each other, creating a kind of sacred line

It was an incredible experience walking around the village and finding out about this amazing tribe. In a way it feels like a real privilege having been able to see them, as we were often told they probably wont be around in 10 years time. It's a real shame, as they are such an interesting tribe, so full of history and traditions.

Of course I tried to take advantage of the opportunity, and took as many photos as I could. Particularly of the children, some of which were absolutely gorgeous. It was an absolutely incredible experience, and one of my favourite moments of my entire year away.