Ethiopia is unique in that it is one of the few countries which has never been colonized; it remains in many ways pure in its traditions. The Hamar people still practices ritualistic body paintings and scarification. When younger, this young girl had been ill. Two cuts were made in her abdomen to ward off evil spirits. Now she will carry these scars, not as a mark of her illness, but rather as an indication of her having survived a difficult chapter in her life.