Member’s Forum – Tribal Angola with Kathryn Mohrman

(Kathryn’s Program Perspective)

We visited seven tribes in southwestern Angola, people who are living as their ancestors have for hundreds of years.  These people are painfully poor in an economic sense, but rich in culture and tradition.  My goal in sharing these photos is to convey the dignity of the people we encountered. I was especially intrigued by the women we met as I learned to distinguish among the tribes based their sense of beauty.  It was amazing to see the effort they took in creating elaborate hairstyles or wearing thousands of beads as an everyday matter.

My fondest memory, however, is not captured in any of these photos.  One morning I slept late in my tent so I was the only person from the tour group in camp.  In my search for coffee I discovered a local family warming themselves around the log fire.  With my coffee cup I sat in one of the camp chairs near where they were crouched down. 

One of the women started talking to me—of course I didn’t understand her language but I could hear the kindness in her voice.  So I started talking to her–of course she didn’t understand my English but I hope she could hear the kindness in my voice.  For ten minutes we “conversed” and built a fleeting bond that underscored our common humanity.

BIO:

After more than 30 years as a teacher, administrator, and college president, Kathryn Mohrman turned to photography as her main focus in retirement. Her love of travel has allowed her to explore cultures across five continents and to share her experiences with the viewers of her images.  Since most people will not have an opportunity to travel to Bhutan or Cambodia or Angola, she considers her photographs as an extension of her years in teaching as she seeks to instill a sense of our shared humanity.

www.jadeforestphotography.smugmug.com

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