Omorate

A woman in a canoe crossing the Omo River
A Daassanach woman in a canoe crossing the Omo River in Omorate

Omorate is situated at the Omo river about 2 hours drive from Turmi and almost as deep as one can get into the Omo valley if not crossing the river and travelling further down south to Lake Turkana and the Kenyan border. The banks of Omo river are quite steep but in the rainy season even the banks will become flooded.

In Omorate one can also cross over the river to the Daassanach village where the Daassanach people of southern Ethiopia and the Omo valley stay part of the year with their cattle and goats. Since the Daassanach have semi nomadic migration patterns that relates to the rain and greener pastures for their livestock, their houses are not built to be permanent structures in the landscape, but merely as periodical shelters.

The Daassanach (also known as the Marille or Geleba) are a Cushitic ethnic group inhabiting parts of Ehiopia, Kenya and South Sudan. The Daasanach are traditionally pastoralists but in recent years have become primarily agropastoral.

Three women from the Daassanach tribe grinding grains into flour by hand
Three women from the Daassanach tribe grinding grains into flour by hand
A woman in Omorate carrying a machete on her head
A woman in Omorate carrying a machete on her head
An older Daassanach woman wearing a bottle opener, a feather and beautiful colored pearl necklaces, in Omorate
An older Daassanach woman who has adorned herself with a big variety of things like a bottle opener, a feather and beautiful colored pearl necklaces around her neck. She lives in Omorate by the Omo River
Tribal man in Omo Valley in Southern Ethiopia
A man in Omo Valley in Southern Ethiopia wearing all sorts of decorations as well as watch's bracelet around his neck
A young boy in Omorate Omo River wearing a cross around his neck
This young boy swim across the river alongside the canoes carrying tourists across the Omo River. When the tourists arrive at the other side, he's ready to guide them around in the Daassanach village
People in a decidely slant shaped canoe, crosses the Omo River in Omorate
Tribal people in a decidely slant or "organic" shaped canoes, crosses the Omo River in Omorate