137th KUASS: KYOTO UNIVERSITY AFRICAN STUDIES SEMINAR (Oct.30)

Documenting Livelihood and Nutrition Practices among Hamar and Aari Communities in Southwestern Ethiopia: Early Field Observations

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Event Info

Presenter
  • Dr. Evrim Tekeli, Research Fellow, JSPS/Assistant professor, Hatay Mustafa Kemal University, Turkey
Date & Venue
  • October 30 2025（Thursday）
  • 13:30～15:00
  • Hybrid Meeting On Site + Zoom (Online): 318 Small-sized meeting room Ⅱ, 3F Inamori Foundation Memorial Fall, Kyoto University
Language
  • English
Contact
  • The Center for African Area Studies, Kyoto University

    Tel：075-753-7803
  • caasas@jambo.africa.kyoto-u.ac.jp

Summary

　The diverse cultural and economic practices of communities in Southwest Ethiopia make the region an important setting for anthropological research. Within this broader region, the Omo Valley stands out for its distinctive biological and cultural variation. The area is characterized by climatic variability and resource challenges, where different subsistence systems coexist in close geographic proximity. Investigating nutritional practices across these communities provides valuable insights into how populations adapt to food insecurity, drought, and shifting economic conditions.
　This research focuses on two distinct communities within this region, namely the Aari and the Hamar. The Aari, residing near the town of Jinka, primarily engage in agriculture and maintain close connections with local markets. The Hamar are predominantly agro-pastoralists inhabiting the Hamer Woreda, relying on livestock herding and small-scale farming. Their dietary practices and health outcomes reflect the contrasts between agricultural and pastoral subsistence strategies, as well as the impact of proximity or distance from market economies.
　The study aims to examine the relationship between dietary patterns and nutrition-related health outcomes among the Aari and Hamar in southwestern Ethiopia.The focus is on growth and physical development indicators such as body weight, height, and BMI, which serve as direct reflections of nutritional status and are feasible to assess in the field. A mixed-methods approach is employed, combining observation, participant observation, interviews, anthropometric measurements, and food frequency surveys.
　Fieldwork for this research is still ongoing. As the data analysis has not yet been fully completed, the seminar will present preliminary insights derived from the early field observations.

instructor

Dr. Evrim Tekeli, Research Fellow, JSPS/Assistant professor, Hatay Mustafa Kemal University, Turkey

Date & Venue

October 30 2025（Thursday）
13:30～15:00
Hybrid Meeting On Site + Zoom (Online): 318 Small-sized meeting room Ⅱ, 3F Inamori Foundation Memorial Fall, Kyoto University

Language

English

Eligibility

Everyone is welcomed to attend.

Registration

For attendance online, please register from below prior to the meeting.
Registration Form

Profile

Evrim Tekeli is a biological anthropologist at the Department of Anthropology, Hatay Mustafa Kemal University, Turkey. Since 2022, her fieldwork has focused on the Aari and Hamar communities in Southwest Ethiopia. Her current work with communities in southwestern Ethiopia focuses on nutritional anthropology, combining anthropometric measurements, dietary surveys, and ethnographic observation. This research will provide a basis for broader comparative studies on nutrition and health in the coming years. In Turkey, she has conducted anthropological studies on human skeletal remains, investigating health conditions and dietary patterns through both osteological and DNA analyses.

Contact

The Center for African Area Studies, Kyoto University

Tel：075-753-7803
caasas@jambo.africa.kyoto-u.ac.jp

Notes

There are no parking lots available. Please use public transport.