Nomad on Notice-Gabbra
The loaded camels, "ship of the desert", haul their cargo across the barren plains. The camels carry the dismantled huts, household possession, the youngest children and the elderly. Camels pastoralists, like the Gabbra may move like this up to ten times a year.
Chalbi Desert
Camels of Chalbi Desert. Kenya.
The loaded camels, "ships of the desert," haul their cargo across the barren plains. The camels carry the dismantled huts, household posessions, the youngest children and the elderly. Camel pastoralists, like the Gabbra, may move like this up to ten times a year.
Gabbra, Chalbi Desert, Kenya
Camel train crossing Chabli desert in sunset, Kenya, Africa There is drama even in routine migrations. The huts are dismantled and the items rolled up and packed between poles bundled together and wedged between ropes on the camel. All of the packing and loading is done entirely by women. Men take no part in it other than to restrain the camels if they become unruly or to help lift some prohibitively heavy item.
Gabbra nomads with their herd of camels cross-vast Chalbi desert under canopy of blue sky. Chalbi Desert, Kenya, Africa
Gabbra nomads with their herd of camels cross-vast Chalbi desert under canopy of blue sky.
Nomad on Notice-Gabbra, Chalbi desert
Sunset
Sunset at Chalbi Desert. Kenya.
Gabra Nomad
The bleak landscape of the Chalbi Desert, an inhospitable expanse of clay and percipated salt, one of the harvest environment on earth.
. Above all, this is a good land for camels, and it is their camels that define the Gabbra. The camel, haughty and cantankerous, is thought of as belonging solely to the dying world of the nomadic pastoralists. But, for the Gabbra, the camel ensures survival. Social activity, settlement patterns, population dispersal, the duties and divisions of labor are all directly or indirectly related to the camel. The Gabbra know their camels like children each one by name and lineage. The Gabbra economy is almost entirely based on reciprocity--the camel will be loaned or given to other Gabbra in need and a future act of reciprocity is expected. Much ritual surrounds the treatment of camels. They are considered to be on the same moral plane as people and to have a mystical relationship to God.
The bleak landscape of the Chalbi Desert, an inhospitable expanse of clay and percipated salt, one of the harvest environment on earth. Chabli desert, Kenya, Africa
Stepping on the fissured mud flats of Chalbi desert.
Gabra Nomad of Chalbi Desert. Kenya.
Sheep and goats, the small stock, are important for meat, for trade and for sacrifices in the many Gabbra ritual ceremonies. Sold for cash, small livestock also provides the means to buy cornmeal and other necessities.
Portrait of a Gabbra boy with a lamb. Sheep, goats and camels, the small stock are important for meat, trade and for sacrifices in the many Gabbra rituals and ceremonies. Sold for cash, small livestock also provides the means to buy cornmeal and other necessities.
Above all, this is a good land for camels, and it is their camels that define the Gabbra. The camel, haughty and cantankerous, is thought of as belonging solely to the dying world of the nomadic pastoralists. But, for the Gabbra, the camel ensures survival. Social activity, settlement patterns, population dispersal, the duties and divisions of labor are all directly or indirectly related to the camel. The Gabbra know their camels like children, each one by name and lineage. The Gabbra economy is almost entirely based on reciprocity--the camel will be loaned or given to other Gabbra in need and a future act of reciprocity is expected. Much ritual surrounds the treatment of camels. They are considered to be on the same moral plane as people and to have a mystical relationship to God.
Gabbra men. Their long, linear lines betray their Ethiopian heritage.
Portrait of a Gabbra boy with a lamb. Sheep, goats and camels, the small stock are important for meat, trade and for sacrifices in the many Gabbra rituals and ceremonies. Sold for cash, small livestock also provides the means to buy cornmeal and other necessities. Chabli desert, Kenya, Africa
Gabbra Nomad
Gabbra nomad with his camel. Chalbi Desert, Kenya.
Gabbra boy with camel milk. The average female camel in northern Kenya provides from 5-10 times more milk per lactation period than a cow and will lactate for more than a year after giving birth. The camel can provide 1 liter of milk for human consumption from about 2 kilograms of vegetation dry matter. Chabli desert, Kenya, Africa.
Gabbra boy with camel milk. The average female camel in northern Kenya provides from 5-10 times more milk per lactation period than a cow and will lactate for more than a year after giving birth. The camel can provide 1 liter of milk for human consumption from about 2 kilograms of vegetation dry matter.
The Gabbra consider this limitless red expanse their land. They see it as a place of freedom and fertility. There is water for those who know where to look. Gabbra live their entire lives in unending cycles of migration. The movement is necessary in order to live off their land, but the Gabbra love dignity. They know how to use their land and to conserve its resources. They move even before they are forced to so that the land is replenished for the future.
Freedom and fertility. There is water for those who know where to look. Gabbra live their entire lives in unending cycles of migration. The movement is necessary in order to live off their land, but the Gabbra love their desert and see it as a supportive environment where they can live in dignity. They know how to use their land and to conserve its resources. They move even before they are forced to so that the land is replenished for the future.
There is drama even in routine migrations. The huts are dismentalled and the items rolled up and packed betwee poles bundled together and wedged between ropes on the camel. All of the packing and loading is done entirely by women. men take no pwrt in it othe than to restain the camels if they become unruly or to help lift some prohibitively heavy item.
There is drama even in routine migrations. The huts are dismantled and the items rolled up and packed between poles bundled together and wedged between ropes on the camel. All of the packing and loading is done entirely by women. Men take no part in it other than to restrain the camels if they become unruly or to help lift some prohibitively heavy item.
Camel train crossing Chabli desert, Kenya, Africa There is drama even in routine migrations. The huts are dismantled and the items rolled up and packed between poles bundled together and wedged between ropes on the camel. All of the packing and loading is done entirely by women. Men take no part in it other than to restrain the camels if they become unruly or to help lift some prohibitively heavy item.
There is drama even in routine migrations. The huts are dismantled and the items rolled up and packed between poles bundled together and wedged between ropes on the camel. All of the packing and loading is done entirely by women. Men take no part in it other than to restrain the camels if they become unruly or to help lift some prohibitively heavy items.
The Gabbra women wear blazing bright colors and beads. Gabbra girls are clitorectomized at 13 or 14 and usually marry between 14 and 16. Gabbra women unlike the men, have no assemblies of their own. Nevertheless they influence much decision making through their husbands, particularly regarding when and where to move camp.
The Gabbra women wear blazing bright colors and beads. gabbra girls are clitorectomized at 13 or 14 and usually marry between 14 and 16. Gabbra women unlike the men, have no assemblies of their own. Nevertheless they influence much decision making through their husbands, particularly regarding when and where to move camp.
The Gabbra live in dwellings of skin and vegetal materials, something between hut and tent. Gabbra women dismantle the tents before the move to a new settlement. The camp travels with the camels as the animals meander through and around the Chalbi Desert.
Something between hut and tent. Gabbra women dismantle the tents before the move to a new settlement. The camp travels with the camels as the animals meander through and around the Chalbi Desert.
Gabbra women dismantle the tents before the move to a new settlement. The camp travels with the camels as the animals meander through and around the Chalbi desert.
Gabbra women dismantle the tents before the move to a new settlement. The camp travels with the camels as the animals meander through and around the Chalbi desert. Chabli desert, Kenya, Africa
