Category: People
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Shaman from Lesotho
“I was born in Lesotho. I’m the fourth child in my family. I’m the youngest and I have three older sisters. When I was born my father was bitten with a stick. It’s tradition and symbolizes the birth of a warrior in the family. My father was very happy to have a son after three…
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Hamar People
Today we are going to meet people who I love the most in the entire country. They are the Hamar people. They are beautiful, sweet, and amazing people.” Ephrem told me and started the engine. “You love everyone, Ephrem. We’ve been traveling together for six days and I haven’t heard anything negative about anyone from you.” I…
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Karo people
“Today we will visit an area where one of the oldest tribes in Ethiopia lives,” Ephrem told me. “Can you tell me more about them?” “These people are called Karo. There are not more than 3,000 of them left today,” said Ephrem as he started the engine. “Their history goes back more than 500 years.” “Interesting!” “We need to pick up a…
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Tsamai People
Ephrem and I drove from Konso to Jinka. On our way we passed fields of sorghum, cotton, and millet. That was already land of the Tsamai people. Ephrem already knew that I was interested in exploring the area. He suggested to make a stop and have a late lunch in the town Weyto. I agreed. We stopped at…
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Daasanach People
I sat in a small coffee shop in Turmi, a village in south-western Ethiopia. I was chatting with my guide Ephrem and enjoying a freshly brewed cup of the local Ethiopian coffee. Ephrem was constantly talking and joking with other visitors at the coffee shop. I didn’t understand a word Amharic and couldn’t tell what…
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Mursi People
It was late afternoon when we arrived in a market town, Jinka, in southern Ethiopia. I wanted to visit a Mursi village right away and asked Ephrem whether we could do that. He was hesitant. He said that perhaps it was not a good idea to do it so late in the day. We would have to drive for a while on a dirt…
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Konso People
I liked Ephrem from the first moment I saw him. We were introduced and I was told that he would be my driver for the next three weeks. Ephrem was in his late forties, about six feet tall, with short hair, and clean shaven. He was an Amphara man. I felt good vibes. “Ilia,” I…
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Maasai
As I drove from Nairobi to Arusha Tanzania, I thought back to when I first learned of the Maasai people. I was twelve years old, and my best friend’s father had returned from a trip to Kenya. He told us fascinating stories about the Maasai warriors, who lived in parts of northern, central and southern…
Small Piece of Happiness 