The Sentinels of the Savanna

Description

The day was scorching hot—the kind of heat that feels like an oven. A light breeze drifted by, but it didn’t do much to cool things down. I was lying on the burning ground, determined to get the perfect shot. In front of me stood the young boys of the Banna tribe, balanced high on their handmade stilts. I wanted to capture them against the clear, blue sky to really highlight their height, their stilts, and the striking white tribal paint on their bodies.

Suddenly, a loud noise echoed in the distance, catching their attention. For a brief moment, they all looked in the same direction. I knew I had to seize that instant. It was in that fleeting moment that I captured not just an ancient custom but a living connection to a past that feels timeless.

These stilts weren’t just for show. Traditionally, Banna boys used them to pick fruit from tall trees and to keep a watchful eye over their cattle. Now, they continue this practice, bridging their distant past with the present. One boy had even cushioned his feet with discarded soda bottles to make walking on the stilts easier—a clever solution that speaks to their resourcefulness. It never ceases to amaze me how people find extraordinary solutions using ordinary things.

Standing tall on their stilts, the boys seemed like sentinels watching over the savanna. There was something surreal about the scene, almost like stepping into another time.