a cultural tradition within the surma tribe in southern ethiopian's omo valley, these lip plates are a symbol of honour and beauty amongst suri women and are worn from the age of 15. there are theories about how the tradition started but is not known for sure, however before these plates were recognised within the tribe as a beauty symbol, some believe girls and women began wearing them to make themselves less attractive to slave traders. head to trippin.world to explore more cultures around the

Tribespeople of the Omo Valley are forced from their land