The first village we visited in Angola was the Ovamwila Tribe in a province called Huila, which is in the southwestern part of the county. The women adorn themselves with beaded jewelry and ancient shells.

These beaded necklaces stay around their neck all the time. They do not come off. Right, they sleep with them.

In the following photos the women are also wearing ancient Omba n’doro shells. These have most likely been passed down thru generations and are very important to these tribal people.

Kids all over the world fascinate me. They are always very curious. However this young boy looked bored. He was actually quite shy and quiet. He did seem to enjoy having his photo taken.

The following set up photos shows how the kids care for and look after each other. Precious!

The women braid their hair and use a mixture of cow dung, fat, and herbs to create this unique style.

And some women also wear ankle and wrist adornments. They are quite heavy!

The homes are mud type huts with straw like roofs.

The woman in the next photo is pounding a grain to make a  porridge, which is usually mixed with honey and milk, and occasionally chicken.

We did not see many men in the villages and were told they were out in the fields either farming or with their animals. The men we did see in this village generally were wearing colorful clothes.

I was particularly fascinated by this guy’s “sash” as I am a tennis player and remember the famous tennis star Bjorn Borg. So I tried with the help of a translator who speaks the tribal language to explain to this guy that I play tennis and recognize his connection with this tennis legend. However, I was informed that the people of the village have no knowledge or Bjorn Borg, or tennis for that matter. The “sash” – I believe it is an old belt – is just an adornment that this man found and wears.

At first the village people were reserved when we entered but after a bit of time we all became comfortable with each other and the men spontaneously started to sing and dance.

Some of the younger people have stepped away from the traditional attire and customs but most everyone spends a lot of time and effort on their hairstyles.