The very poor in the Lower Omo Valley, Ethiopia

*WS 172 - The very poor in the Lower Omo Valley, Ethiopia*

The Lower Omo Valley, about 165 sq km in size and inhabited by 16 main tribes totalling some 200,000 indigenous people, is the poorest region in Ethiopia. In this concluding part of several stories on this region we want to show you the tough living conditions in photos.  

1st, 2nd photos – the typical rural huts and a better urban “house”.  

3rd, 4th – there is practically no motorised traffic except tourists’ 4-wheel drives and government vehicles. Buses only on the major roads. Our 4-wheel drives had to carry additional diesel needed in extra containers put on top of the vehicles. Donkey carts are already a luxury. Those baskets on the trees are honey-bee traps. 

5th to 8th – the road users: goats, buffaloes, donkeys and rarely, camels.  

9th and 10th – boys will do stunts, and girls selling papayas, all hoping to make some money from the tourists.

11th and 12th – the weekly market at a town called Gato. People walked for tens of km to trade, mostly on grains, and may be some gossips. 

13th, 14th – it is a tough life out there for both man and beast.