This photographic series was created in the Karamoja region of northeastern Uganda, where the Karamojong people reside. The Karamojong are one of the branches of the larger Ateker group, whose ancestors migrated centuries ago from what is now Ethiopia’s Omo Valley. As migration continued, the Ateker dispersed into several groups: some moved north or east (such as the Turkana of Kenya, the Jie of South Sudan), while the Karamojong remained and settled in this territory — thus becoming, in their own language, “those who stayed.”

For the Karamojong, pastoralism is central: cattle are not merely livestock but wealth, status, and identity. The kraal — the men’s stronghold where herds are guarded — is a key site of both livelihood and tradition. At the same time, this culture is deeply intertwined with a warrior ethos: historically the Karamojong guarded their herds, defended their territory, and held strong social roles as warriors and protectors.

Yet the world around them has been shifting. Disarmament policies, regional pressures, climate change and severe drought in an already arid land, combined with national policies that have often left Karamoja marginalised, all challenge the Karamojong’s way of life.

This work offers an external perspective, shaped by encounters, exchanges, and personal research. It does not claim to represent a local voice, but simply a respectful glimpse into a culture and a land shaped by movement, by staying, and by resilience.