The Walé women of the D. R. of Congo

ngombe wale woman with her sons during ritual on ethnographic trip to D. R. Congo

After being mothers for the first time, the young women of the Ntombe and Ngombe tribes (originating from the region of Ecuador in the D. R. of Congo) become Walé (women who breastfeed) and begin a life of seclusion in which they will spend several years dedicating themselves exclusively to the care of their children. […]