The traditional Borana are pastoral nomads.  They raise cows, sheep, goats and camels.  At the top of the page there is a picture of two camels carrying the nomadic Borana's house.  The long sticks you see sweeping up from the back of the camel are the sticks to build the house.  They take these sticks and build a hut for their dwelling.  Sometimes they cover this hut with grass, mud, plastic or other materials.  

 

Some of the modern day Borana have begun to settle in villages.  The primary reason for this is so that their children can go to school.  However, many Borana children still do not have the opportunity to attend school.  The work that they do for their families is too valuable.  Without the children to help herd the cattle, haul the water and gather firewood, the Borana family would not survive.  It is a difficult life.  Sometimes a family will put all of their efforts into getting one child to school and getting that child to university.  They do this in hopes that this child will get a good job and then support the rest of the family for the rest of his life.  If the child does get a good job this is a very easy thing for him to do because the expense of a Borana family are very low.  

Nomads