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(Dana) In many cultures, there is a rite of passage – an event that marks the transition into adulthood.  At home, some teens become a bar/bat mitzvah; others are confirmed.  In the Hamar tribe in Southern Ethiopia, girls of marrying age (14/15) are circumcised.  Boys of ~18-21 prove their maturity through bull jumping. When a […]

(Reis) Riding in our 4×4 vehicles on the crazy, bumpy roads of Ethiopia had no shortage of wild and well… bumpy experiences. Important to understanding our long pilgrimages to and from villages is that most of the roads in this country are made of dirt, a substance quite susceptible to the elements. The displacement of […]

(Andrew) Giggles erupt from the group of 40 Karo children as I bounce a knock-off Super Pinky Ball on the dusty ground. They run after it once it takes an odd bounce off a stone. The kids sprint after it, eager to be the next one to throw it. An older kid of no older […]

(Emma) Over the course of one year, a young Mursi girls’ bottom lip will transition from normal shape to a large flap of skin dangling six inches off her chin. The process to create this large hole is gradual; she will begin with a small hole and stretch it to fit larger and larger discs. […]

(Alex) Walking through an Ethiopian tribal village is like being a celebrity on the red carpet. Kids stop what they are doing to stare at you and follow your every movement. A few timid hands reach out to touch your pale skin. Some little brave hands slide into yours… then suddenly, like an explosion, the […]

(Greg) The Southern Omo Valley in Ethiopia – just north of Kenya and just east of Sudan – is a tough place to get to. That is exactly why we are here. It is so remote that its indigenous cultures have been largely unspoiled by modern civilization. Until recently. With the exception of a few […]