"KIDS THESE DAYS" 20" X 24" $375 matted - $500 framed
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toys that these children play with are made by
their parents or themselves. The children and also the adults display
a very high level of innocence and trust which results in them being very
friendly and open to strangers. Each time that I took out my camera
to take a photo of someone a group of people would suddenly appear all
wanting to get into the picture.
The Lunda-Ndembo were nomadic hunter-gathers and it is only within the last couple of generations that they have constructed “permanent” homes and villages. Mujila is in the north east corner of Zambia near the borders of Angola and Congo. The Zambian government is relatively stable and functional by African standards and other than periodic boarder skirmishes by Congo and Angolan troops Mujila is very peaceful. Due to a lack of valuable mineral resources in the Mujila area these people have been ignored by the outside world . The most significant problem for these children is severe nutritional deficiencies. Since the planting of corn and the construction of permanent homes was introduced to the Lunda-Ndembo they have undergone a population explosion and have killed and ate almost all of the wild life in the area. Even small birds and rodents are seldom seen in spite of the vast tracks of wooded savannas that go on for many miles in all directions. Although there is plenty to eat their diet is extremely deficient in protein. The starvation that they suffer is very slow to show its effects but never the less results in shorter life spans, high child mortality, and limited mental and physical growth. |
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