The Bodi (or Meen) tribe lives close to the Omo River in southern Ethiopia (Omo Valley) and has the Mursi tribe as south neighbor and Konso at north; It is a pastoral and agricultural tribe, thus livestock plays a large role in the tribe; Along the banks of the river, they cultivate sorghum, maize and coffee; For their new year in June, called Kael, Bodi men consume large amounts of blood and milk to become overweight;Â This tradition measures the body fat of a contestant; Each family or clan is allowed to present an unmarried contestant;Â The winner of this contest is awarded great fame by the tribe;Â The women in the tribe wear goatskin skirts and have a plug inserted into their chin; Most of them are now Christians; In Hana Mursi, the main town of the Bodis, the government plans to settle 300 000 people from all over Ethiopia over the next few years; Along with the workers and soldiers, AIDS and Hepatitis B are coming too; The Bodi tribespeople do not want to give up their traditions and their land to allow the new sugar cane plantations irrigated by the water of Gibe 3 dam, and live in the settlements planned by the government; If the Konso tribe attempts to set foot on their land with the support of the government, clashes will erupt as the Bodi elders predict; © Eric Lafforgue www.ericlafforgue.com