Guaraní girl from Puerto Esperanza - Misiones - Argentina

Young girl from Ghadames - Libya

Tuareg girl in the camp of Mechovi - Aïr - Niger.

This Shipibo girl is using a large banana leaf as an umbrella to protect herself against the rain. - Ucayali, Peru

India - Rajasthan - Jaisalmer - Back from school

This indo girl from the village of Alto Caballero in Panama belongs to the Guaymi people.

Ximena of Cajabamba - Ximena lives in Cajabamba, a village of 2300 inhabitants located in the fertile plains of Ecuador. She is wearing a traditional belt, hat and earrings, but the shawl and the sweater probably come from China. And so globalization expands across the planet (Cajabamba, Chimborazo Province, Ecuador). - 1973

Water eyes - Mârusthali, the name given to the Thar Desert, means "land of the dead." However, there is life here and little Ambu has hope for a fruitful future, for her name means "water", the source of life that shines in her eyes and on her lips. (Rajasthan, India) - 1990

This aymara girl, with the traditional hat, lives on the Bolivian Altiplano at 4000 m of altitude

Indian girl from San Cristobal de Totonicapan - Guatemala

Children in Venice - California, U.S.A.

A girl from the Cuna tribe settled on the archipelago of the San Blas Islands, in Panama

A perplexed Aymara girl stands on the edge of the Titicaca lake. Is she thinking maybe about the hardships of life that await her?

On one of the many Banda Islands (in the town of Lontar, Maluku Archipelago, Indonesia), a little girl offers by-passers her simple, self-made meals.

This girl from the Peul-Bororo tribe, photographed here near the Ekisman well (Niger), probably descends from distant relatives from the high valley of the Nile.

At the well of Ekismane, a little Bororo shepherd.

Mother and children at the Arali camp site. (Oued Issaouane, Aïr, Niger)

Toufouchi / The school of life In order to participate in the life of the camp, the girl learns the necessary skills at an early age so she can help the family. Here she is preparing to grind millet in a mortar.

Hello and welcome
This toubou girl offers eggs as a welcome. Hospitality in the desert is a sacred duty, a great honor; no nomad shuns this.
Chad - Tibesti - Sherda - 1968

Indigenous people flock from all corners of the Andes Cordillera to take part in the Inti Raymi, the great festival in honour of the sun, in Cuzco on 24 June. This girl wears a moss dress and a kind of crown made of agave leaves and shells on her head. - 1969

A little Shipibo girl protects herself from the tropical rain with a banana leaf. - Paococha near Pucallpa, Ucayali department - 1969

The legends are only available in German, French or Spanish
L'Amazone vue depuis le quartier de Belén, à Iquitos. - 1969

The legends are only available in German, French or Spanish
Les temps changent! les fillettes indiennes d'Acomayo transportent l'eau non plus dans une poterie, mais dans une vulgaire cruche émaillée.

The serious face of this girl from Combapata, Cuzco, is tanned by the harsh mountain climate. She wears a cap with a forward-facing peak and a wide, patterned, hand-woven belt around her waist.

Pentecost Festival in Ollantaytambo, Cuzco - Young Indian woman in typical costume. - 1969

A little Shipibo girl from Paococha on the Río Ucayali admires her mascot, a blue bird. - 1969

A Yagua Indian girl in Yanamono near Iquitos in the Amazon rainforest. - 1969

Young girl from Abra Pampa (province of Jujuy). In this place, the Andean Indian type dominates. - 1973

Girl from a family of zafreros living in the region of Tucumán. Sugar cane is the agricultural wealth of this province. But Tucumán is also considered the garden of the country. Rainfall is high, so a rich flora thrives. However, with its 22,524 square kilometres, Tucumán is the smallest province in the country. Sugar production reaches more than one million tonnes annually. The cañeros work on their own account. The zafra (harvest) takes place between June and September. - 1973

The majority of Paraguay's Indians are Guaranis. You also meet them in the Argentinean province of Misiones. This indigenous woman is sitting outside her house, weaving a basket. - 1973

A Guarani girl at the mission station of Padre José Marx SVD in San Ignacio - Province of Missiones - 1973

If the gaucho has more than the bare necessities, he is soon the head of a large family. Far from all the comforts of civilisation, the gaucho is also a naïve painter and schoolmaster at the same time. - Estancia Palitué, Province Neuquén. - 1973

This Indio girl from the village of Alto Caballero in the northwest of Panama belongs to the Guaymí people. - 1977

These two Indio girls from the village of Alto Caballero in the northwest of Panama belong to the Guaymí people. - 1977

This Indio girl from the village of Alto Caballero in the northwest of Panama belongs to the Guaymí people. - 1977

Young Cuna Indian girl from the San Blas archipelago wearing a small gold ring on her nose. These indigenous people form an ethnic group of about twenty-five thousand people. They are a very homogeneous group whose representatives are extremely proud of their culture, whether it be language, customs or beliefs. This does not prevent the Cuna, who are highly intelligent, from being attentive to everything that is happening in the world. Many of them work outside as teachers, doctors, lawyers or artists. Each Cuna community is headed by a chief, who reports to one of the three main caciques of the region. The responsibilities of the latter extend to all the representatives of the ethnic group. A daily meeting of the members of the community allows everyone to speak and express their opinions and judgements on the most diverse problems that the natives have to face. A more democratic system of government could not be imagined!

Two Cuna women preparing their food. Here bananas are being pounded to a pulp in a wooden mortar. - 1977

Young Cuna Indian woman from the San Blas archipelago. She wears a small gold ring on her nose. These indigenous people form a nation of about 25 000 people. They are a very unified group whose members are exceptionally proud of their culture, language, customs and beliefs. Each Cuna community has a leader, who in turn is under the command of one of the three main caciques of the region. The responsibility of the caciques encompasses the entire ethnic community. The daily meeting of the members of the community allows everyone to speak, present their views and express their opinions on the various issues facing the indigenous people. A more democratic system of government could not be imagined! - 1977

The Cuna woman is engaged in the manufacture of her clothing, namely the well-known cotton blouse (mola). She works under a tree or at the entrance of her home, sheltered from the sun. The Indian woman likes to cover herself with ornaments. She wears a small golden metal ring on her nose. On her arms and ankles she wears tightly fitted bracelets made of coral beads. While her husband fishes, hunts or works in one of the crop fields he owns on the mainland, the Cuna woman stays at home and performs a multitude of domestic tasks. She plays a considerable role in the society of her clan, which has a matriarchal structure. Thus, the puberty of girls is a very important event and is the pretext for a lively celebration in which all members of the community participate; in contrast, the puberty of boys goes unnoticed. It is also the case that the young husband will live in his wife's home, having to assist his parents-in-law in all circumstances. - 1977

A young Cuna woman shows a colourful and richly decorated mola, the main product of Cuna women's handicrafts. The patterns usually depict people, mythological animals and geometric figures. All the images are symbolic and closely related to the extensive religion of the inhabitants of the San Blas archipelago. The mola is composed of several pieces of fabric carefully sewn together. - 1977

School is out. These girls from Puerto Cortés in Honduras are on their way home. Their umbrellas protect against both the rain and the sun. - 1977

School is out. The little girl Yola from Puerto Cortés in Honduras is on her way home. His umbrella protects against both the rain and the sun. - 1977

On the Caribbean coast of Honduras, after returning from an especially miraculous catch. A black girl from the town of La Ceiba offers beautiful fish to passers-by. The blacks form a sizeable population that has settled preferably in the low-lying, tropical areas of the Central American republics, more precisely along the Atlantic coastline. This ethnic group has preserved many traditions in which the African element is always present. Indeed, all these blacks are more or less direct descendants of the slaves who were brought to America during the 16th and 17th centuries by the Spanish conquerors. This odious trade in ‘ebony wood’ was motivated by the fact that the Westerners had exterminated most of the Indians who, prior to the Colony, populated the islands of the Caribbean Sea and the American continent. Lacking manpower, the whites decided to replace the natives with Africans, who were given the most arduous work. - 1977

Children fetch water at the well in the village of Izalco in El Salvador. The Nawat name Itzalku is composed of the word elements itz, "obsidian", (k)al, "house" and the locative ending -ku and can be roughly translated as "place of obsidian houses". - 1977

Street atmosphere from the village of Izalco in El Salvador. The Nawat name Itzalku is composed of the word elements itz, "obsidian", (k)al, "house" and the locative ending -ku and can be roughly translated as "place of obsidian houses". - 1977

A young mestizo boy harvests cotton in an area between La Unión and Usulután, El Salvador. Cotton was already known to the pre-Columbian populations, who used it to make the cloth worn by the important members of the group and the clergy. Is this plant species of American or Asian origin? The question remains, but we know with certainty that its daily use goes back to the most distant past. At present, cotton is cultivated on a large scale in Central America. It has become an industrial plant intended for export and is a very valuable source of income for most of the republics of the subcontinent. It owes this prestige to the excellent quality of its fibres. Its harvest, like that of coffee, requires the help of workers who work permanently in the field and, if necessary, of peones. - 1977

The clothing worn by Guatemalan Indian women includes essential elements such as shirts, blouses known as huipiles, skirts, belts and headbands, the colours and decorations of which vary considerably from region to region and even from village to village in the country. This phenomenon, common to all the Indian republics of the continent, is due to the fact that, for the indigenous people, clothing is a factor of social identification. It allows the wearer to distinguish himself from others and to be attached to his place of origin. - 1977

In the market of Santiago de Atitlán. - 1977

A little Mayan girl at the Friday market in San Francisco El Alto in the department of Totonicapán, Guatemala. - 1977

Indian girl from San Cristobal de Totonicapán, a picturesque village in western Guatemala. The indigenous people of Guatemala, who make up almost half of the country's population, are found mainly in the mountainous regions. They are divided into six main ethnic groups, each with a number of subgroups. Most of the Indians are more or less direct descendants of the pre-Columbian Maya, from whom they have inherited many traditions in terms of daily activities, social life, beliefs and crafts. However, they have not been without the influence of Western culture, from which they have borrowed many elements. Nevertheless, the present-day Indians of Guatemala and neighbouring regions continue to courageously defend an invaluable heritage that gives the country its personality. - 1977

Little Mayan girl from Totonicapán. - 1977

In San Pedro Yepocapa in the department of Chimaltenango, students parade on 15 September 1977, the bank holidays of Guatemala. On 14 October 1974, this place was partially destroyed during the eruption of the Fuego volcano. - 1977

Indian girls at the market of Chichicastenango. The indigenous people of this country, who make up almost half of the total population, live mainly in the mountainous regions. They are divided into six main ethnic groups, each of which includes a number of subgroups. Most of these Indians are descendants of the pre-Columbian Maya, from whom they have inherited numerous traditions, whether in daily work, social form, beliefs or crafts. - 1977

A little girl from Akreïjit with a very special haircut. - Mauritania - 1970

The house door of Sassoul Moulaye in Oualata. Here the masonry is not made of stones, but of unbaked mud bricks dried in the sun and joined together with an earth mortar. Remarkably solid, as long as it does not rain, these buildings have the disadvantage of dissolving in water with astonishing rapidity, which is why constant attention must be paid to the condition of the roof. - Mauritania - 1970

In front of the house of Sassoul Moulaye in Oualata. Here the masonry is not made of stones, but of unbaked mud bricks dried in the sun and joined together with an earth mortar. Remarkably solid, as long as it does not rain, these buildings have the disadvantage of dissolving in water with astonishing rapidity, which is why constant attention must be paid to the condition of the roof. - Mauritania - 1970

The little girl Lemine Oul Boulabatt from Oualata in Mauritania. - Mauritania - 1970

Schoolgirls in Adrar, Algeria - The oasis itself is of great beauty and is home to several historical monuments. The settlement of the region is quite old and the area has been home to different cultures. This intermingling has produced a number of traditions, cultural and craft practices that are still present in the lives of the inhabitants today and are reflected in the local folklore and cultural heritage. - Algeria - 1971

A young girl from Ghadames in Libya. - 1969

Tuareg girl from the Djanet region. - Algeria - 1962

A girl at the Murzuk market. Its elegant posture comes from learning to carry heavy loads on its head at a very early age. - Libya - 1964

This little girl comes from Traghan near Murzuk. In the picture you can count 12 flies. - Libya - 1964

Toubou girl near Sherda (Tibesti). She offers eggs as a welcome. Hospitality in the desert is a sacred duty, a great honour; no nomad escapes it. It is usually expressed in a gourd of camel milk or a handful of dried dates. - Sherda - Zouar - Tibesti - Chad - 1967

Tuareg girl from In Abangarit, northwest of Agadez - Niger - 1966

Kayar is a small coastal town in Senegal, north of Dakar. Traditional fishing is the most important economic activity in Kayar. A girl sells fish at the market. - Senegal - 1969

A girl from Timbédra. This place is a small market centre and is located on the Route de l'Espoir, the only west-east asphalt road crossing the country. - Mauritania - 1969

A little girl crushes salt - Timbuktu - Mali - 1969

A young girl from the Gourma region, Mali, offers milk in a calabash. The nomads have not adopted pottery, which is too fragile for transport purposes. However, they know how to boil liquids in a simple skin bag stretched over a wooden hoop by throwing heated stones into it. The consistency of the forms from prehistoric times to the present day is admirable. - Mali - 1969

These girls are a splendid example of the Fula tribe found between Douentza and Hombori in Mali. The graceful harmony of the fine features, illuminated by an intelligent smile, is remarkable. The Fulbe belong to the large family of the Peul. - Mali - 1969

This girl is a splendid example of the Fulbe tribe found between Douentza and Hombori in Mali. The graceful harmony of the fine features, illuminated by an intelligent smile, are remarkable. The Fulbe belong to the large family of the Peul. - Mali - 1969

Young girl from the town of Hombori, which lies between Mopti and Gao on the edge of the Hombori-Tondo table mountain. This area is inhabited by the Gurma tribe. - Mali - 1969

At the well of Ekisman - Early practice for those who want to become a real shepherdess. - Niger - 1970

Girls as well as boys help to bring the cattle to the drinking trough. - Eskiman well - Niger - 1970

Cattle wait patiently in the midday heat until they are led to the drinking trough - Eskiman well - Niger - 1970

This young girl from the Peul-Bororo people, photographed near the well of Ekisman, may be descended from distant relatives on the upper reaches of the Nile. - Niger - 1970

It has often been overlooked that cattle also served as pack animals and as such played a major role in the civilisation of the Sahara. As a rider we find the same girl as in the previous photo. - Well of Ekisman - Niger - 1970

The goat's milk is stored in a gourd container. - Camp of the Kel-Tédélé-Tuareg - Oued Gouloukou - Kogo - Aïr - Niger - 1992

Girl and baby in the Kel-Tédélé-Tuareg camp in the Oued Gouloukou - The mortar is hand-carved from aborak wood and is also used as a musical instrument when reversed and covered with a goatskin. The stick is made of acacia wood. - Kogo - Aïr - Niger - 1992

Young Targia in the Kel-Tédélé camp in the Oued Tchiulmas at the foot of the Tamgak massif - Aïr - Niger - 1992

A young Targia in the camp of Abakaoua, the clan leader of the Kel-Tédélé - Adrar Chiriet - Aïr - Niger - 1992

Young Targia with her little brother in the Kel-Iguéga camp - The boy carries a lucky amulet containing a written verse from the Koran - Well of Tezirzek- Niger - Aïr - 199292

Young Targia with traditional jewellery - Oued Timia - Niger - Aïr - 1992

School for life - In order to take part in life in the camp, the girl learns the necessary skills early on so that she can support her family. Here she is pounding millet in a mortar. The mortar is carved from aborak wood and also serves as a musical instrument when turned upside down and covered with a goatskin. The stick is made of acacia wood. - Toufouchi camp - Niger - Aïr - 2001

School for life - In order to take part in life in the camp, the girl learns the necessary skills early on so that she can support her family. Here she is pounding millet in a mortar. The mortar is carved from aborak wood and also serves as a musical instrument when turned upside down and covered with a goatskin. - Toufouchi camp - Niger - Aïr - 2001

The young Targia Fatima in the camp of Irham - Aïr - Niger - 2001

A Tuareg nomad bed with Achmed, Fatma and Siliha. The frame is made of aborak wood, the mat is woven from palm leaves - Irham camp at the well of Tanet Mellet - Niger - Aïr - 2001

Making a mat woven from palm leaves - Zakkat - Aïr - Niger - 2001

Tuareg girl in the camp of Zakkat - Aïr - Niger - 2001

A little girl from Zakkat - Aïr - Niger - 2001

A girl offers a whole bunch of bananas for sale. Pasar Beringharjo, the famous spice market in Yogyakarta. – 1990

Girl from Tambak in Central Java – 1990

This cheerful girl was photographed in the streets of Ujung Pandang (Makassar). She wears a ribbon in the colours of Sulawesi on her hat – 1990.

This girl sells dried fish at the market in Banda Neira – Maluku – 1990

This girl in the market in Ambon is selling a packaged speciality – Moluccas – 1990

Portrait of a little girl on Banda – Moluccas – 1990

This girl is also interested in the photographer's work – Ambon – Moluccas – 1990

There are several places in Colombo where women practise the art of batik or offer workshops. There are traditional businesses run by women that often support local craftswomen. – 1990

Three children, probably siblings, in a rural, green setting. The bindi dots on their foreheads and their style of dress suggest they are from the Murukkady area. – Kerala – 1990

The serious yet curious expressions on the two girls’ faces lend the photograph a profound emotional depth. The scene was captured in Thrikkunnapuzha and is typical of Kerala’s rural communities. – 1990

A homeless girl in Maharashtra, Mumbai (formerly Bombay). Mumbai is known for having one of the world’s largest populations of street children. They often sleep directly on the pavement, in railway stations or under motorway bridges. Many earn a living by begging, collecting rubbish or selling small goods at transport hubs. – 1990

The Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Market, far better known by its original name, Crawford Market, is one of the most historic and lively markets in Mumbai, India. The young woman, dressed in traditional clothing and wearing a small bindi on her forehead, is carrying a bundle of firewood. – 1990

A young girl in Jodhpur balances a woven basket on her head. The image documents the historically and socially deeply rooted practice of manual scavenging in South Asia. This involves carrying faeces or waste directly on the head. In practice, this work often falls to women and children from marginalised communities (such as the Dalits), who occupy the lowest rung of the traditional caste system. – 1990

A traditional mud-brick house in the village of Khuri in the Thar Desert. These houses are characterised by their hand-painted walls, which often feature colourful geometric patterns in shades of red, yellow and white. In the foreground is a girl in a bright pink robe, carrying a bowl on her head – a typical scene from daily life in the rural regions of Rajasthan. – 1990

In the rural and semi-arid regions of Rajasthan, water is an extremely scarce resource. It is a traditional, often arduous task for women and young girls to walk for miles every day to wells or water points to provide for their families. The containers are balanced directly on the head using a small, ring-shaped cloth pad (called an indhoni), leaving the hands free whilst walking. The girl wears traditional jewellery such as necklaces and a discreet nose ring. - Lathi - 1990

This young girl from the arid and water-scarce region of the Thar Desert is balancing two containers on her head. At the bottom of her head is a large, ribbed tin can. Placed on top of this is a traditional, shiny vessel made of brass or bronze. Such vessels (often referred to in India as a lota or ghara) are traditionally used to carry and keep water fresh. To distribute the weight and protect the head, a small, ring-shaped fabric pad (known as a chumbal or indhoni) is usually placed directly on the hair beneath the containers. Balancing the load on the head keeps the hands free and allows for an upright posture, but requires extreme dexterity and strong neck and back muscles from a very young age. – Lathi – 1990

A young girl from Lathi in the Thar Desert carries a large, traditional metal vessel (often referred to as a matka or ghara) on her head. Beneath the heavy vessel, a small, ring-shaped cushion made of cloth or straw rests on her head. This stabilises the load and alleviates the pressure. Carrying water containers on the head is a traditional method of transporting water. – 1990

A young girl from Lathi balances a large, gleaming golden metal vessel (traditionally known as a lota or ghada) on her head. Carrying loads on the head is a centuries-old practice. A small, ring-shaped cloth pad (chumli or indhoni) is often placed between the head and the vessel to distribute the pressure and make it easier to balance. In many rural areas without running water, fetching water is a daily task, often involving a walk of several kilometres, which is frequently carried out by women and children. – 1990

This portrait depicts a girl named Ambu from Jaisalmer in the Thar Desert in Rajasthan. The name of this desert means ‘the land of the dead’. Yet life thrives there nonetheless, for the girl’s name means ‘water’ – a symbol of hope for a fruitful future. Ambu wears a striking, beaded headband in yellow and red, with a round, golden decorative button attached at the front. Traditional golden earrings hang from her ears, featuring delicate filigree patterns and small green accent beads at the bottom. A red dot (bindi) is applied to her forehead. Her eyes are heavily outlined and emphasised with traditional dark kohl. – 1990

These elderly men are engaged in deep conversation outdoors, whilst a little girl watches from the background. The group is standing in front of an ornately decorated, sandstone-coloured wall, typical of the architecture in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. – 1990

A girl from the Salasaka community (Tungurahua Province, Ecuador). The white hat is traditionally made from pressed sheep’s wool. It is a key symbol of identity during festivals. The hand-woven woollen shawl (Lishta) is often patterned with fine stripes. It is crossed over the chest and fastened with a silver brooch (tupu). Wearing walkas (multi-strand necklaces made of red coral or beads) is a typical form of jewellery for women and girls. – 1977

A young girl from the indigenous Kichwa community in the Otavalo region of the Ecuadorian highlands, dressed in traditional attire consisting of a blue poncho, a headdress and multiple layers of gold bead necklaces. – 1977

A Salasaca girl from the town of Ambato, Tungurahua province - Ecuador - 1976

The village of Acomayo (at an altitude of 3,770 metres) in the department of Cuzco. The pueblo is a residential and productive community which, as an ayllu, dates back to pre-Inca times, although the Spanish determined the location and number of today’s pueblos. One third of a village community’s total land holdings is generally held in common and is also cultivated collectively, although the majority of the descendants of the Incas practise a purely subsistence economy. - Book: Picture 106 - Peru - 1976

These melon-shaped hats (often called ‘bombín’) are characteristic of the indigenous people of the Altiplano in Peru and Bolivia. The clothing in this region reflects the centuries-old traditions of the indigenous communities. – Puno – 1972

A portal in the village of Juli on the south-western shore of Lake Titicaca, which was a religious centre during the colonial period. This is commemorated by a whole series of churches, whose rich interior decoration bears witness to their former splendour. - Book: Picture 132 - Peru - 1976

Children of the Chipaya culture in the barren Altiplano of Bolivia. The Chipaya are considered one of the oldest indigenous communities in the Andes. They live in a very salty and isolated region near the Lauca River and Lake Coipasa in the department of Oruro. The boys are wearing the typical, coarsely woven, sleeveless garment of the Chipaya people, known as an ‘ira’ or ‘tipoy’. The girls in the background usually wear the traditional, very fine braids (trenzados), which have a distinctly African appearance. The houses in the background are the famous round or rectangular huts (putucus), built from peat and grass sods (tepes) and thatched with straw. This construction method provides perfect protection against the region’s extremely icy winds. – Chipaya – Bolivia – 1976

The Chipaya tribe in the Bolivian department of Oruro, which now numbers just under a thousand people, inhabits a particularly inhospitable region of the Andean high plateau on the Río Lauca, which flows into a salt lake. The Chipayas are the only highland indigenous people who obtain part of their food through hunting, as agriculture and livestock farming alone are unable to meet their needs due to the highly saline soil. At dawn, groups of hunters lie in wait on the lake shore for flamingos, ducks and Andean geese, which they catch using bolas – throwing balls attached to long straps. The word ‘Chipaya’ comes from the Aymara language and means ‘a mat of reed or straw woven with reed cords’. To protect themselves from the strong winds of the Altiplano, the Chipayas have, in fact, had to tie down the thatched layers of their roofs with cords since time immemorial. The belief that the Chipayas are the direct descendants of pre-Inca populations is supported by mummy finds in burial towers from that period, which, amongst other similarities, display the same hairstyles that the women spend hours and hours creating. - Book: Picture 156 - Bolivia - 1976

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