Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2003. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 23 September 2003
Marko Kokic in Opuwo
The question is simple but the implications are profound for a small group of tribal pastoralists living in north-western Namibia.
In the face of globalisation, the Himba people have largely managed to retain their traditional way of life. Their economy and cosmology revolves around the cow. Sadly, some of their very customs and traditions threaten to wipe them out.
Certain Himba cultural practices make them particularly vulnerable to HIV/AIDS infection. They practice polygamy. Older men rich in cattle tend to monopolise the women, taking several wives.
Sexual activity starts early. Women are wed through pre-arranged marriages and most fall pregnant very young. A young Himba named Tjingee, now married, recalls that her first sexual encounter happened a month after her first period. "Soon after my menstruation, my older sister told me I should sleep with that man, my cousin. I did not know it meant sex," she remembers.
Himba women suffer from the highest maternal death rate in the country. Funded by the American Red Cross, the Opuwo Red Cross branch started a reproductive health project in 2001 addressing this and related problems.
"We teach the Himba and others about pre- and post-natal care, contraception, family planning as well as sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS," says reproductive health coach, Reheza Tyiraso.
Most Himba women have several young lovers. "I have three boyfriends, in addition to my husband," admits Tjingee. "When a woman only has her husband, other women will tease her saying she is useless for only having just one man," she explains.
"The women often reside at distant cattle posts where grazing is good while the husband remains in the homestead, giving them an opportunity to have these extramarital relations," comments Red Cross volunteer Charles Varije.
Adultery is not socially condoned - any man caught is fined 12 head of cattle. But it is ubiquitous. It is not uncommon for an uncle to offer his nephew one of his wives during visits.
Tjingee remains unconcerned about getting pregnant by one her lovers: "If it happens, I will tell my husband it is his child." Indeed the concept of whom a child belongs to has more to do with family structure than biology. Any child born is the husband's whether he fathered it or not. A child born to an unmarried woman is considered to be her brother or sister and remains the responsibility of her parents.
Having children is a central element of Himba culture. Children help in the important task of raising cattle and ensure that parents will be cared for in their old age. "For the Himba, if you do not have children, you are not a whole person," Varije explains.
But not all traditions are strictly upheld, he says: "The Himba have begun to intermarry with the other tribes - with the Zemba and the Herrero. By marrying out of their tribe they have exposed themselves to HIV/AIDS." He adds that, last year, there were seven reported cases of HIV/AIDS in and around Opuwo. Some were Himba.
Even if some Himba grasp the catastrophic implications of HIV/AIDS in their community, it remains a daunting challenge to convince everyone of the urgency of the problem.
"A disease that can kill you in a decade does not concern the older men of our community," says Red Cross volunteer and Himba, Moms Mutambo.
Even if the older generation cannot see the need for condoms, the Opuwo Red Cross volunteers are passing on the message to their younger peers. The fact that several of them are also Himba themselves adds credibility.
But is it too much to expect a group that has steadfastly held on to its traditions for so long to change so quickly?
"I think people will use condoms if they understand why it is so important. It all depends on the information provided," says Himba Red Cross volunteer Kautorona Muharukua.
"Some will listen and live, others won't and will die," adds Mutambo.
The Himba people will have some difficult choices to make. If they succeed in preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS in their community, it will surely be at the cost of some of their cherished cultural practices and traditions.
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