"Childhood"

Photo of a group of children in a Dinka cattle camp in Eastern Rumbek, South Sudan. The Dinka tribe is the majority ethnic group in South Sudan. Its people are traditionally pastoralist cattle keepers. Despite generations of civil war between North and South Sudan, the Dinka have maintained their pastoralist lifestyle. These children will grow up in the cattle camp. Even boys growing up in towns are brought back to the cattle camp for initiation rites into adulthood.

Plaudits for this photo:

This image has been selected for exhibit at the 2008 Photographic Society of America (PSA) International Exhibition of Photography. Visit the News - "2008 PSA International Exhibition of Photography" page for further information.

This image was exhibited at Parish Gallery in Georgetown, Washington, DC as part of the February 2008 photography exhibit, "Emotions." Visit the News - "Parish Gallery - Emotions" page for further information.

This photo is one of five South Sudan photos that has been picked up by the international multimedia news agency, Reuters. Visit the news page for a link to the photo slideshow on the Reuters website.

Ref: Feb 25 06_057 South Sudan

Location: South Sudan, Africa

Photographer: Irene Abdou