Africa is a vast continent that’s filled with different people from different nations and different cultures and traditions guiding them. These cultures have been practiced since the time of their forefathers and it has been handed over from one generation to the next.
Today we’ll take a brief look into the lifestyle of a Namibian tribe and some facts about them.
Meet the people of the Himba tribe
They’re called the people of the Himba tribe and they live in the northern parts of Namibia, a southern African country. These Africans still follow and practice their ancient traditions even as the world is already far in technology and modernization.
The unique lifestyle of their ladies
The ladies of the Himba tribe plays a more stressful role than their men, their ladies are incredibly hard working. Apart from taking care of their young ones, these ladies milk their cows, collect firewood, search for good water, do the farming, cook food, they take care of most responsibilities. The men are mostly the ones who take their livestock out for grazing and watch over them.
Why they don’t bath with water
Another interesting fact about the people of Himba is that they don’t bathe with water, this is because they live in a warm region where water is very scarce. However, this doesn’t mean that they’re dirty and unhygienic. They’re hygienic and they have a way of keeping themselves clean apart from using water.
How they keep themselves clean
What the people of Himba normally do is that they apply red ochre on their skin and they do partake in a daily smoke bath to keep themselves clean.
They do this by smoldering charcoal into a small bowl filled with leaves or tiny branches, the smoke from the burning herbs is what they use for cleansing their skin. As strange as it may sound, it does work for them.
Himba ladies cleaning themselves
For a full-body wash, they cover themselves with a thick fabric likened to a blanket so the smoke gets trapped, then they apply the red ochre on their skin.
This is also one of the reasons for their red skin color. They are also known for their unique hairstyle, they normally style their hair by themselves.
The Himba tribe are few among other African tribes that still keep to their ancient practice and lifestyle without embracing the lifestyle of the modern world.
They smile at tourists but they frown at anything that threatens their traditions. This is one of the reasons they still maintain and live by their ancient cultures.
Their special guest treatment
The people of the Himba tribe are also known for offering their ladies to pass the night with well-esteemed visitors.
This is a practice they call “Okujepisa Omakazendu” which means “Offering wife to guest”.
According to their tradition, a Himba man will have to sleep in another hut or sleep outside while his wife satisfies their guest for the night.
