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Down in the Kunene and Omusati locales of northern Namibia are the semi-traveling individuals of the Ovahimba and Ovazimba clans.
It is standard, for their purposes, for the ladies to participate in the everyday exercises of draining cows and dealing with the youngsters while the men go hunting, in some cases leaving for extensive stretches of time.
With a population of about 50,000, the Himba are a polygamous group where Himba young ladies are offered to male accomplices chosen by their dads once they reach pubescence.
A large portion of their societies have been maintained in spite of western impact and fomentation.
Among them is the “man starts things out” custom. The lady has practically zero assessment in that direction. Accommodations to her better half’s requests start things out.
As per the Gatekeeper, “When a guest comes thumping, a man shows his endorsement and joy of seeing his visitor by giving him the Okujepisa Omukazendu treatment—the spouse is given to his visitor to go through the night while the husband dozes in another room.” “In a situation where there is no accessible room, her significant other will rest outside.”
This, obviously, decreases desire and encourages connections.
Another practice that has endured over the long haul is the “washing is taboo” rule. As opposed to cleaning up, the ladies wash up and apply sweet-smelling perfumes to their skin. They are additionally directed by the conviction that red means “earth and blood.” Their red skin is something that makes them very special. The red tone is from the otjize glue (a blend of butterfat, omuzumba clean, and ochre), and its capability is to safeguard their skin from the unforgiving desert sun and bug nibbles.
Himba Impact in African Writing
The Himba public hasn’t been addressed much in writing. Notwithstanding, in Nnedi Okorafor Binti, the lead character, “Binti,” is of the Himba people. Okorafor depicts the clan as a “clan in Namibia who use ‘pleasant-smelling otjize,’ a combination of ochre and butterfat, over their skin, folding it into their hair as security against the desert sun.” In the novella, the Himba don’t travel, which straightforwardly differentiates the genuine Himba individuals from those who are migrants.
