HIMBA

This is a young woman from the Himba tribe, they are the native people to the land we traveled. 

This image shows only a very small picture.
The complete picture is hidden to the left and right of this idealistic photo. 
There was a highway to the left, and a stand with souvenirs and bracelets to the right. 

The entire family has been forced to make small amounts of money.
They now have to work for national currency to pay for grocery store food, since they are not allowed to hunt on their native lands like they used to.
The law has taken away a nomadic lifestyle entirely at one with nature, the Himba tribe wouldn't take more than it needs.
Himba culture has wisdom, rich history and culture that is becoming rare among humans.
Now, native people are forced to work for the state. Forced to hand over indigenous land, in return for a poor quality of life, posing for photos and collecting petty change from rich white tourists. 

The photo shows a person with strength, health, history, empathy, beauty and a FUTURE.
The photo fills us with feelings and you begin to use your imagination, within a moment we construct a fictional life of this girl. 
The fictional life is probably optimistic, she looks healthy and strong, gazing back at the lens, empathy mixed with strength.
Its easy to assume that she will be fine, Himba have been around a long time, 50,000 people wouldn't just ‘disappear’.

 

A portrait photo has the power to paint a story.

The truth is, due to law changes, all 50,000 people are effected, resulting in a permanent damage to an entire line of history.

They have been sold to the system, the system now owns them, their culture is now the systems culture