Fight

The Suri is a proud people who live in the southwest of Ethiopia, far away from and unaffected by modern, contemporary civilisation. They honor centuries-old traditions, such as the annual Donga. During this sporting ritual, the naturally peaceful Suri show a very competitive side of themselves that they take very seriously. The aim is for young men to duel with stick fights in order to show their strength and masculinity and to gain respect from their family and the community. And of course they conquer the hearts of young girls before marriage. The groups sometimes consist of hundreds of men, coming from different villages. They use their best warriors and approach the battlefield in a large clearing. They do this while singing and try to impress their opponents.The duel winners continue to fight each other until one last victor remains. Losers are expected to accept their defeat gracefully and withdraw from the field. The last victor is carried on a platform with poles and taken to a group of unmarried young girls, one of whom will choose him as her future husband.

SALT

Salt I

The Afar from Ethiopia are living in one of the hottest and most barren places on earth: The Danakil Depression, where temperatures can rise up to 120 Fahrenheit. Lake Asale, a huge salt pan in the Danakil is situated 520 feet below sealevel. This is the ‘ Salt Kingdom ‘ of the Afar, where they daily cut out salt tablets.They transport the tablets by camel to sell them on the several markets in Ethiopia. This traditional way of salt mining without using polluting machines and transport-verhicles  shows how human and nature can work together.

 

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