www.womanthismonth.com 29 September 2015 PEOPLE | cover story Since I was in school I have loved watching documentary programmes,” says Sawsan. “I’ve always had a curiosity about different nations and their people. Information about tribes around the world fascinates me, especially remote peoples, how they manage and their societies.” That curiosity came to the fore when Sawsan got her first professional camera in 2011. She says: “I had been taking pictures almost all my life but when I got my first professional camera, that really opened things up for me and I started focussing on different kinds of photography.” Specialising in macro-subjects, such as tiny insects, Sawsan took part in the Bahrain Wildlife Exhibition and she is also keen on capturing street life and landscapes. She joined various camera clubs and soon discovered one in the GCC that had recently visited with the Masai in Kenya but when she asked to go on the next trip she was told it was men only. “They said they did not accept women because of the places they go to but I wasn’t willing to give up and the guy suggested another group. There was an advertisement for a trip to Ethiopia that was open to females so I signed up to get some more information. “This is a trend for people getting together over Instagram, usually photographers, to visit less accessible places. The guy putting together to the group had previously been to the area so was able to organise guides and hotels etc. “There were another three ladies in the group, one from Qatar and two from Bahrain and, I believe, we’re the first GCC women ever to visit the Lower Omo Valley. “It was honestly a great challenge. We were there for 11 days and visited five different tribes and we spent a lot of time driving and travelling between them which was pretty tough going over rough terrain. “Guides make a payment to the village elders to allow travellers access and in one village we had to run away after the people got angry over a payment misunderstanding. “Visiting the Mursi tribe we were escorted by an armed member of the Ethiopian National Guard because we were warned they can be aggressive. “To visit the Dassanech tribe I crossed the Omo River in a hollowed out tree trunk and on a trip to Chamo Lake there was lots of bird life, huge crocodiles and several hippos. “I was sad to see the ‘mingi’ children, who are considered to be bad luck and are usually killed if they are not taken in by the Omo Child organisation which provides schooling and accommodation for them. “But overall it was a brilliant experience, one I will never forget and I would love to go back, perhaps to camp next time and spend longer getting to know the people and really experiencing their lifestyles.” One of Sawsan’s pictures from the trip, showing a family of the Hamar tribe, has since won a gold medal from the American Photographic Society. You can follow her on Instagram at Finish_Last. “ A Journey to Remember Bahraini Sawsan Taher first picked up a camera seriously just four years ago, but following her passion recently took her to Ethiopia’s remote Omo River Valley from where she shares with us this series of stunning images. 8
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