Visiting the Himba Orphan Village

My Photo scholarship 2010 entry

Worldwide | Friday, October 15, 2010 | 5 photos

I am a PhD student at the University of Toronto researching the impacts of the World Cup on marginalized communities in South Africa. During my fieldwork in southern Africa, I had the opportunity to travel to Namibia, where these pictures were taken. Namibia is a country of stunning beauty that I will never forget. By far, the highlight of the trip was visiting a Himba village for orphans located in northern Namibia. The Himba people are an indigenous nomadic group in Namibia who are struggling to maintain their traditional culture in the face of a changing world. In general, the Himba women maintain the Himba culture and this was certainly true of the village I visited. The village serves as an orphanage for children whose parents passed away – largely from ‘blood cancer’. In my pictures I tried to capture the beauty of this unique culture and way of life. The village welcomed me in with open arms so that I could learn about their culture. Beauty rituals are a central part of Himba identity. As per tradition, the Himba people cover their entire body with a cream made from animal fat and an orange mineral. This adds to the vibrancy of the colors in the village and for great photographs.