Seven hundred kilometres northwest of Chonwati,
in a remote, mountainous region called Kaokoland,
lie semi-arid lands where a cattle-rearing tribe has settled permanently.
The river Kunene, the natural border between Namibia and Angola,
is what makes life possible in this inhospitable land.
The Himba are one of the most interesting, and most intact tribal groups in Africa.
They have a reputation as the most competent herdsmen in Africa.
This is what they are famous for, but their success is not due to their knowledge of cattle alone,
but also to their organisation and social relations,
as they themselves recognise in many of their traditional proverbs:
"life depends not on animals, but on people.
If you have people, you will never die"
Himba society is organised according to the principle of dual lineage.
This practice of taking into account both the mother's side and the father's side,
can be found in only six regions of the world:
West and Southwest Africa, India, Australia, Melanesia and Polynesia.
All Himba people are born into the matriarchal clan of their mother
and the patriarchal clan of their father.
Lineage on the mother's side determines inheritance of material wealth,
including the cattle,
while the father's side decides how groups are organised, and the structure of authority.
Opembe is a small settlement inhabited by just two families.
Yakujá Yambirú is the Omuyona, or clan chief.
Four years ago, he suffered an incident which almost cost him his life.
"It was during the rainy season.
We were at the foot of the Omusati mountains, leading the herd up to the highlands.
In the late afternoon, just before the sun went down,
a group of nine famished hyenas began to attack the cows.
Armed with only sticks, we tried to drive them off,
but one of them jumped on my back, and, with one bite, ripped off my arm.
A group of herdsmen came to my aid, and took me to the hospital in Opuwo,
where I arrived two days later, almost dead.
It was the first time I had been outside my territory."
Yakujá is married to Wazindi Kiruá, and together they have had three children.
The oldest, Navizó, is responsible for the cows, and will inherit them.
The youngest son is called Kamá Iguan,
and he is in charge of looking after the goats.
And last but not least, Komané, the only daughter.
Today is a special day in Opembe.
Komané has had her first menstruation the Esuko
and this is celebrated with a dance,
attended by all the women from the neighbouring villages.
When a girl has her first period,
her father will remove the bracelets made of vegetable fibres,
which she wears around her wrists and ankles.
He then cuts off her braids, and places on her head
the Ekori, the women's headdress.
Komané is now ready to get married,
and her parents will decide who should be her future husband.