By Santhushya Hewapathirange   The Himba tribe’s motto is: “Don’t start your farming with cattle, start it with people.” All over Africa, some tribes like the Himba tribe still respect and live according to the traditions of their ancestors. The Himba tribe is built with graceful herders for whom image is everything. They are known for covering their bodies with otjize – a thick red cream made from crushed rock and herbs. It is considered attractive and symbolic amongst their tribe. Himba’s journey on Earth The red ochre cream The first settlements of the Himba people can be traced back to the early 16th Century when they crossed the Angolan border and chose Kaokoland (nowadays called the Kunene Region) as their new homeland. At the end of the 19th Century, Namibia was plagued by a relentless bovine epidemic. Subsequently, the tribe moved south and started to explore different regions to enhance their chances of survival. According to the Herero language, the word Himba means beggar; it is because they roamed the vast Kaokoland in search of cattle and crops asking fellow or other tribe members for help. Holy fire/ Supreme being (Mukuru) The Himba tribe are animists, and their supreme being is called Mukuru. They communicate with their God through the holy fire. In every village, you will find the holy fire smouldering, while next to it, some logs of wood are kept on a sacred stone to feed the fire when needed. You are not allowed to cross the holy line if you are an outsider or have not been invited into the village. The holy line starts from the main entrance of the chief’s hut and goes straight, passing the holy fire, to the entrance of the cattle enclosure.   The red ochre cream The red ochre cream that the Himba are famous for is made by pounding the ochre stone (hematite) into small pieces. After that, the fragments are mixed with butter, slightly heated using smoke, and applied on the skin. The cream also protects their skin from insect bites and the baking African sun. The red ochre, however, is applied when the girls are old enough to look after themselves hygienically. The tribe’s men do not apply red ochre on their skin. A Himba woman only takes a bath once in her life, just before getting married. She washes her hair with ash, and will keep the same hairstyle until she dies. However, Himba women do take a daily smoke bath to maintain personal hygiene. They will put some smouldering charcoal into a little bowl of herbs and wait for the smoke to ascend. For a full-body wash, they cover themselves with a blanket so that the smoke gets trapped underneath the fabric. Himba porridge The Himba tribe sticks to consuming porridge. Every morning and evening they heat some water, wait until it boils, put some flour in it, add some oil perhaps, and the food is served. The flour is mostly made from maize, but from time to time you might find some mahangu (millet) flour as well. On rare occasions, such as weddings, the Himba tribe eats meat, but this is more an exception than a rule.