Ethiopia 2013
A Mursi woman shows us how she stretches her lower lip. She knew we would want to get her portrait and she knew we would pay her.
Lip-plates are only worn when a woman milks the cows, serves her husband food or simply when she wants to look her best. But of course, many women wore their lip plates when we were in their village to photograph them.
The Mursi tribe are farmers and cattlemen. Of late, they have earned money by allowing tourists to photograph them. Their future is not so certain. A dam is being built on the Omo River to be used to irrigate a (to be constructed) large sugar plantation. People in power expect the Mursi to work the plantation. What the Mursi have to say about the situation, I don’t know.
To visit the Mursi and other fascinating tribal people of Ethiopia, contact Osman at www.soratours.com