The forgotten people of the Mago Valley: Ethiopia

Far from the well-trodden tourist paths of Ethiopia, deep in the south of the country, where the Mago River flows sluggishly through a landscape of thorn bushes and savannah, lives a people about whom hardly anyone speaks: the Bodi . They are neighbors of the famous Mursi, whose lip plates are known worldwide – but while the Mursi often pose in front of cameras, the Bodi people prefer silence and a life in the shadow of the modern world.

A life with livestock

For the Bodi people, cattle are far more than just livestock. They represent sustenance, wealth, identity, and a spiritual connection to the earth. Every man knows each of his animals personally – their color, temperament, even their mood. Cattle aren't simply counted; they are described, sung about, and celebrated.

The blood and milk of their herds are their main source of food. Especially during dry periods, they carefully draw blood from their cows, mix it with milk, and drink this mixture as a sacred drink. To outsiders, this may seem archaic – for the Bodi, it is a sign of respect for the animals that sustain them.

The time of the Fat Festival

Once a year, the otherwise quiet village of Bodi transforms into a stage for one of Africa's most peculiar rituals: the Ka'el Festival , also known as the "Fat Festival".

Young men are selected to become Fat Warriors over the next six months . During this time, they are not allowed to leave their huts, perform any physical labor, and are given a special diet of blood and milk. The goal is to gain as much weight as possible—not out of vanity, but to symbolize strength, prosperity, and viability.

When the festival begins, the men, naked and painted, compete against each other in a ritual contest using their massive bodies. The winner is celebrated as a hero, not for his fighting prowess, but for his devotion to tradition.

Marks on the skin – stories in the body

Scars adorn the bodies of many Bodi. They are signs of courage, pain, and beauty all at once. Every line, every raised wound tells a story – of trials passed, friends lost, or hunts survived.

The body art of the Bodi is not a fashionable expression, but a form of memory that merges with the skin.

Isolated, but alive

The region where the Bodi live is difficult to access. Few roads, hardly any infrastructure, no hotels. Only a few researchers or photographers manage to reach it. Perhaps that is why their culture has survived – untouched by the hustle and bustle of modernity .

While the world around them is dominated by smartphones, roads and satellites, the Bodi live to a rhythm that is older than the states that surround them.

Why the Bodi can teach us something

The story of the Bodi is not only exotic – it is a quiet reminder that progress doesn't look the same everywhere . In a time when we are often defined by speed, performance and consumption, the Bodi people show that strength can also lie in slowness, ritual and connection to nature.

Perhaps that is precisely its greatest treasure: a culture that doesn't have to prove anything because it is simple.