The people of Ovahimba and Ovazimba tribes in the Kunene and Omusati regions in Northern Namibia have an upheld culture that has defied western influence and agitation .With a population of over a
50 , 000 , the women engage in the daily activity of milking their cows , taking care of the children and other extensive duties while the men go hunting leaving , sometimes, for an extended period of time . These nomads’ wealth is determined by the number of cattle one has . A polygamous people , the Himba girls are married off to male partners selected by their fathers once they attain puberty. You cannot ignore the red skin they have . The red colour seen on their skin is called , the otjize paste ( a combination of butterfat, omuzumba scrub and ochre ) and its function is to protect their skin from the sun and insect bites . They are also guided by the belief that the colour red signifies “Earth and blood ”. Rather than take their baths , the women take a smoke bath and apply aromatic resins on their skin .
Honour Is Relative
Give honour to whom it is due : This saying is applied differently in this tribe . When a visitor comes knocking , a man shows his approval and pleasure of seeing his guest by giving him the Okujepisa Omukazendu treatment . This practice literally means that his wife is given his guest to spend the night while the husband sleeps in another room . In a case where there is no available room, her husband will sleep outside. This handed down tradition has its “benefits ” in the community : it reduces jealousy and fosters relationships. The woman has little or no opinion in the decision making. Submission to her husband ’s demands come first . She has an option of refusing to sleep with him but has to sleep in the same room as the guest . She is also entitled to give her friends to her husband when they visit but this rarely happens.
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