Thirst, tradition and survival: Inside a Himba community's long walk to nowhere

IN the rocky, sunburnt hills north of Uis, Namibia, a small Himba community has learned to live without certainty.

- AYANDA NDAMANE

For the past three years, about 32 families have been settled in the remote area near Uis, though "settled" may be too strong a word.

For years, they have been moving up and down the mountains, searching for a place where water, land and life might finally agree to coexist. Even here, survival is a daily negotiation. Water scarcity remains their most pressing problem.

Members of the community walk about 14 kilometres daily to fetch it, carrying 20-litre containers across harsh terrain.

But the journey does not end there. The water must also be bought at 20 Namibian dollars per container. For a household of four, at least four containers are needed a day.

That is 80 dollars daily, in a place where cash is scarce and opportunities to earn it even scarcer. It is this quiet arithmetic of poverty that is once again pushing the community to consider moving.