Monthly Photos　May 2012

Photos taken by ILCAA staff and associates are posted here once a month; most of them are taken during their field research in Asia and Africa.

(The copyright belongs to the photographers.)

Warm smile in a small village

Ethiopia is a land of ancient history, with a significant influence coming from the three largest monotheistic faiths: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Half of the population is considered Ethiopian Orthodox. Islam has also had a strong influence on the population from the early days of the religion, with a large amount of the population following the teachings of the Prophet Mohammad.
As a multi-ethnic and cultural society, Ethiopia’s rich and complex nature makes it one of the most unique countries in the world. Its geography includes the northern highland that is over 2000m high bearing the upstream site of the Blue Nile, the Southwestern savannas, and the Southeastern area facing the desert.

On my 900-mile journey from the capital of Addis Ababa to the north, I came across various lifestyles of the Ethiopian people. On my way from Lalibela, the city which is known by “Rock-Hewn Churches” recorded as the UNESCO world heritage site, back to Addis Ababa, our driver invited us to his mother’s house in Shoarobit. They hosted a lunch for us with the Ethiopian staple food “Injera” and we enjoyed the time. The people in this small village observed us with gentle curiosity. When I said hello in my unaccomplished Amharic, they gave me a warm smile.

NOV 2011
in Shoarobit village, Ethiopia
Photograph by Yuta SHIOTSUKA

Go back to Back Issues of Monthly Photos’ page