KENYA - JULY 15: El Molo women, Layeni village in Kenya on July 15, 2009 - The El Molo is the smallest ethnic group in Kenya, numbering about 300 people. They originally settled in the north of Lake Turkana but were forced by the other tribes to move south to the small islands. There are now gathered into two villages, Anderi and Illah, respectively 150 and 70 inhabitants. The Samburu name for El Molo means the people who eat fish. As a matter of fact, the El Molo s life is based on fishing, which is why they greatly suffer of the increasing pollution of the lake. Their main diet consists of fish and occasionally crocodile, turtle and other wildlife. Killing hippos gives a great social status to the warrior. They hunt from rafts with handmade harpoons from acacia roots, their fishing nets are made of palm fibers. The El Molo still lives in small circular huts, built on the shore of Lake Turkana, even if they are slowly being replaced by permanent concrete buildings. Like the Samburu, the El Molo wear necklaces and bracelets made of colored beads. Nowadays, only the eldest dress in a traditional way. Most of them are not pure El Molo since they have been combined with Samburu and Turkana bloodlines. However, intermarriage with other tribes and abandonment of the nomadic lifestyle has helped to increase the number of individuals. So they certainly have taken the customs from the other tribes. The originality of this ethnic is that they have also mixed their traditions with the ones of Christianity. For example, an El Molo woman can wear a tribal necklace and a cross at the same time. (Photo by Eric LAFFORGUE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
