For i Karathe happiness It is not a milestone away to chase, but something rooted in the place where they were born. This small tribe of the Omo Valley, in Ethiopia, has lived for centuries on the banks of the river, keeping its traditions intact and the deep link with nature.
However, their future is increasingly uncertain. Climate change, the erosion of the lands and the advance of modernity threaten their lifestyle, asking a difficult question: Will they be able to protect their home and their identity?
The Happiness projectan initiative aimed at exploring and documenting the meaning of happiness in different cultures in the world, has reached kara to listen to their history. During the meeting, the head of tribal has pronounced a touching speech which contains all the wisdom and concern of a people poised between past and future.
The speech of the chief Kara
“When a child is born, here we teach him that the earth and we are one. He must love it, respect it and feel it as part of himself“The tribal chief told. From birth, kara transmit to their children The value of the earthshowing them where the river once flowed abundant and where the fields were fertile. Through the stories of the ancestors, they hope to pass on not only a memory, but a future in which those stories can still be lived and not only remember.
In the village, life follows the rhythm of nature: young people paint their bodies with sacred symbols, women adorn themselves with beads and shells, children dance to celebrate the identity of their people. However, the atmosphere is marked by growing restlessness. The time of the fathers was different, the river offered their life and sustenance, but today The soil crumbles in the hands, the water is scarce and the future appears uncertain.
“We pray that the water returns to flow, that life can still resist here“The boss said, with the hope that their culture will not be swept away by change. Happiness for kara simply means be able to stay on their land, cultivate it, live it and pass on it To the new generations. But how long will it be possible?
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