" I visited Biwa's village in the Ethiopian Omo Valley more then 25 times. It was one of the three small Kara tribe villages located directly beside the Omo River. The village looked like a little paradise with people taking care of their cattle and goats.

I regularly visited to offer them the pictures I took the previous time and it was always a big celebration when they saw their portraits. When I handed Biwa his picture carrying the Crocodile on his shoulders, he walked through the village lifting the picture over his head and proudly showing it to everyone! It was a very special moment for me to see that.

Today , maybe 15 years later, the village has been replaced by hotels and huge cotton farms built by foreign investors. The Kara villagers have been kicked out of their own land. Big roads have been built for the trucks and with the roads came intensive tourism and alcohol. Globalization does not know any mercy and is destroying the region and cultures.

A few years ago Biwa died of AIDS and Tuberculosis. There are so many stories I could share about Biwa, one of the last warrior of the Kara tribe of the Omo Valley. He killed 3 lions, 4 elephants, 5 leopards, 15 buffalos, many crocodiles and two people in a war with the neighbouring tribe. He was always ready to surprise me... like with the crocodile that he brought up from the river. He was a man of power and strength but also he knew mercy and love. I miss him. He taught me a lot. We laughed a lot. I hope you can see & feel in the picture what an amazing man he was.

I promised him to show his portrait all over the world, so he would not be forgotten."

Jan C. Schlegel