"OUR GANG" 20" X 24" $375 matted - $500 framed |
These children belong
to the Lunda-Ndembo tribe of Mujila, Zambia. They are extremely friendly
and out going and run to the side of the road to wave whenever a truck
goes by, which is only once or twice a day. When ever I took out
my camera people seem to materialize from no where to have their photo
taken. The Lunda-Ndembo were nomadic hunter-gathers and it is only
with in 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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