Elder Himba Woman

The Himba people generally live together with their extended families in a homestead. There'll be several huts and work shelters on their grounds, along with a corral for their livestock, and the important okuruwo (ancestral fire).

While walking through one of the homesteads, this elder Himba woman sat, looking tired and a bit frail. Had this been the scene in a modern city, it would look like she was panhandling for money. In reality, she was just holding her cup out so another family member can come and fill it with some water.

It is not considered indecent by the Himba for the women to be topless, and this is pretty common. It was an interesting juxtaposition when I was in the nearest city, Opuwo. There are lots of Himba in the area, and so they walk around town just as they would at home, but you see plenty of other people dressed in modern clothing. Walking into a supermarket and seeing half the people dressed in modern clothes and half in traditional Himba clothes, topless, is a bit different than going to your local grocery store in the US.

An older Himba woman sits, awaiting a drink.