GENEVIĒVE 🦋

Somewhere near Massenya, in a tiny village at the edge of the Sahel, I watched men dance to be chosen ✨

This is the Gerewol, the courtship festival of the Wodaabe People, semi-nomadic cattle herders who roam the Sahel with their long-horned herds.

Once a year, at the end of the rainy season, the clans gather and the young men become the spectacle. Faces painted in ochre, beads, shells, feathers and layers of jewellery. They line up shoulder to shoulder, chanting and swaying for hours, rolling their eyes and flashing their teeth. Bright eyes, white teeth and a tall, slender figure are symbols of beauty here!

The twist? The women choose their partner 👀

Thank you for welcoming me, and thanks to @offtrackadventures.co for organising such an incredible experience! 🙏🏻

#Gerewol #Wodaabe #Chad #GerewolFestival