Chickens are an integral part of life for the Bench people, who live in the high mountains of southern Ethiopia. They are farmers and live in huts decorated with paintings.
‘I quickly grasped the importance of chickens for the Bench: they are an essential hygiene factor. As we’re in Africa, close to the equator, there are fearsome scorpions, spiders and really dangerous ants everywhere. As the chickens are fed very little, they are always on the alert and hunting for insects. If a snake approaches the house, they make an incredible cacophony, flapping their wings, attracting the attention of the owner who immediately understands that something abnormal is going on. I was able to see, day by day, a real exchange between the farmers and their hens within the community.’
Hans Silvester
