Turkana lake, northern Kenya.
The El Molo (or Elmolo) are an ethnic group living in the southeastern shores of Turkana lake, between main lakeshore and a small island called "Island of Ghosts" (also known as the "Island of No Return").
It is the smallest ethnic group in Kenya (about 300 people).
Half tribe live on the shore:
Between shore and island we took a boat, and in few minutes we reached the Island of Ghosts, where the other half tribe lives:
Turkana lake receives water but it hasn't emissaries, so only evaporation contributes to maintain stability in water level. In previous years, the level was increasing, so even more people were leaving the island to live safety on the shore, because of they were scared to remain isolated. At now, water level stops to increase, and starts to decrease (there are almost no rain in this region).
Reaching the island, people came to us, and I remember I woman said 'Welcome, this is our home!'.
Malaika foundation is doing a lot to help people here, thanks to photographer @mauro-debettio and to many people who contribute to provide food and help to these tribes (and also to children and young men in Nairobi city centre), with a special respect for their culture and their style of live, so I hope this post will be useful to raise awareness about this reality: I have been here personally, I know how Malaika works hard, and I would like to help this foundation to grow even more!
We took some flour on the island. They have fishes to eat, but they need to diversify their diet:
Mauro is well know here and they love him. In his honour, a family has decided to call their child Mauro!
Here Mauro and Mauro!
A curiosity: many names here are similar to European names: I have know children called Monica, Richard, etc. etc.: it is a cultural inheritance of the relative recent common Christian background.
Here we are on the island. Some men are preparing net for fish, and a children is fishing:
A walk inside the village:
I feel here the root of humanity. Our ancestors lived here.
The dreams I had at night, here, were vast and full of positive energy: I feel part of universe!
Despite of an insane western rational culture, our origins are there. As Gustav Jung suggested, here we can touch the unconscious, deep, irrational and true part of ourselves.
El Molo means "those who make their living from other than cattle", in fact their main diet is fishes.
Also small children help to fish, to clean and to preparare fishes:
They used to dry them under the sun, inside a sort of electrified fences:
They are isolated from other tribes and cultures, maintaining a typical and unique lifestyle.
I met a man who explained me some aspects of their life.
On the left, the hut they used as kitchen, and on the right, the hut to sleep with all family:
The main diet is fishes, and luckily fishes don't miss!
They take fishes on the roof, to dry:
After about four days, fishes are ready to be sold at local market.
From salmon fishes they prepare also an oil (they take it on the roof) to use as medicine for young children, and also to cook:
A sort of super power medicine for all!
The day was very hot, and we had to drink a lot, and obviously it was mandatory to wear an hat, the sun rays were very strong!
Women used to wear handmade earring and very big and colorful beaded necklaces. Here some portraits.
An elder woman:
A woman with a very young baby:
And the young woman you can see also in first picture.
I like very much the intensity of her eyes!
Full of foce, energy and life!
Here an abandoned house...
... and an improvised kite...
They don't need too many things to be happy!
For sure they live a true sociality, not a Facebook fake sociality. They are poor, but they have all they need (maybe only a bit of food more), and they still have something we (I mean European people) have lost.
Pictures taken with Sony Alpha 7iii.
05.08.2023