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DISAPPEARING WORLD

Inside the endangered lost African tribe who carve patterns into their own skins and are forced to walk 10 hours a day for water because of deadly drought

Nomadic way of life faces obliteration because of severe water and food shortages  

AMAZING new photographs lift the lid on an endangered and little known tribe - unique for their elaborate scar patterns, athletic prowess and beautiful woman.

Photographer Sumy Sadurni travelled to Northern Uganda in February to capture the extraordinary Karamajong tribe and their determination to survive against the odds.

Scarrified dots around the eye area are a common beauty feature in the Karamojong culture and are usually pricked by thorns and rubbed with mud to add surface
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Scarrified dots around the eye area are a common beauty feature in the Karamojong culture and are usually created by thorns and rubbed with mudCredit: Barcroft Media
urkana cattle herders travel from Kenya into Karamoja to find water for their cattle
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Turkana cattle herders travel from Kenya into Karamoja to find water for their cattleCredit: Barcroft Media
Karamojong women climb Mount Moroto in search of firewood which they can then sell at the local market in Moroto town
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Karamojong women climb Mount Moroto in search of firewood which they can then sell at the local market in Moroto townCredit: Barcroft Media

Sumy said: “I'm hoping that by sharing a piece of their lives, I can introduce this fascinating tribe to the world.

“While the African grasslands and climate in Karamoja has always been dry, it is now drier than it's ever been.

“The reality is that people are literally walking for 10 hours to find water for themselves and for their cattle.

"Without water, there is no life.

"Without water, there is also no food.

“While there are many issues within the Karamojong, including women's rights, the main priority now is to survive.

"I hope that these pictures also show their way of life, the way they dress and how these amazing tribes have had to somehow adapt to a Western way of life.”

Herders travel massive distances in order to get to a common borehole now that there is barely any water in the region
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Herders travel massive distances in order to get to a common borehole now that there is barely any water in the regionCredit: Barcroft Media
Marta and her children in Napak district, Karamoja, Uganda
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A young boy in Napak district, one of the hungriest ones in Karamoja, where walking long distances for food and drink is a fact of their very hard livesCredit: Barcroft Media

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Pictured by Sumy in several of the images is Marco, a young Karamojong father of seven, who has cut down the family food rations to one meal of sorghum grain a day.

Sumy said: “This is now true for most families as resources are scarce.

"Their days are now based on finding water for both family and cattle: a task that is getting harder every day."

Marco said: “In the morning I wake and first thing I do is count the animals.

“I then go out to find water for them and in the afternoon I try to make what money I can to feed my family.”

Children often look after their younger siblings while the parents are away working, Karamoja, Uganda
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Children often look after their younger siblings while the parents are away working, Karamoja, UgandaCredit: Barcroft Media
A Pokot tribeswoman: the Pokot and Karamojong have a long history of clashes and still now there is tension between both tribes
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A Pokot tribeswoman: the Pokot and Karamojong have a long history of clashes and still now there is tension between both tribesCredit: Barcroft Media
Pokot tribeswomen are usually more decorated than Karamojong wome
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Pokot tribeswomen are usually more decorated than Karamojong womenCredit: Barcroft Media
Cattle are the most important way of livelihood for the Karamojong: they provide milk, meat, blood and money when sold
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Cattle are the most important way of livelihood for the Karamojong: they provide milk, meat, blood and money when soldCredit: Barcroft Media
Karamojong boys begin looking after goats when they're five years old
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Karamojong boys begin looking after goats when they're five years oldCredit: Barcroft Media
Children often go out to hunt small birds and bat with home made sling shots, Karamoja
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Children often go out to hunt small birds and bat with home made sling shots, KaramojaCredit: Barcroft Media

Situated in the north of the country, Karamoja borders Kenya and war-torn South Sudan and is also home to Kidepo National Park.

Karamojong are one of the main local tribes and cousins to the Masai in Kenya.

Their faces are often decorated with scarified dots around the brow area and a bottom tooth is often removed once they hit pubescent years.

Wrapped in the traditional Karamojong blanket and decorated in beads, they sport a distinctive look different to any of the other tribes in the country.

People look for cover when these dusty gushes of wind happen, Karamoja, Uganda
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People look for cover when these dusty gushes of wind happen, Karamoja, UgandaCredit: Barcroft Media
Marta and her children in Napak district, Karamoja, Uganda
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Marta and her children in Napak district, Karamoja, UgandaCredit: Barcroft Media

The Spanish photographer said: “Karamoja is always the underdog of the East African tribes, and the western world is less familiar with them compared to the Masai, Ethiopian and Tanzanian tribes for example.

“I’m hoping that people get as fascinated by them as I am, and that through the pictures they can connect with these people.

“With all the challenges faced by the region, the Karamojong are proud and passionate people.”

A young dad in Napak district looks after his boy at a community meeting, where people from the village get together and talk about the lack of harvests and water
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A young dad in Napak district looks after his boy at a community meeting, where people from the village get together and talk about the lack of harvests and waterCredit: Barcroft Media

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