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Mwila women must sleep with their heads lying on a head rest to protect their precious Nontombi dreadlocks
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Mwila women are famous for their ornate hairstyles featuring thick mud-coated dreadlocks and their massive stacked up beaded necklaces
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Married Mwila tribeswomen with their golden dreadlocks (usually 4 or 6) called Nontombi
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Mwila women style their hair using a mixture of animal fat, crushed tree bark, dried cow dung and herbs to shape it into thick dreadlocks called Nontombi before dyeing it with Oncula paste
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Mwila split their hair into plaits and cake each section (called Nontombi) with yellow ochre and animal fat
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Mwila girls parading around at the market and showing off their beaded wig headdress, necklace and a pair of bandoliers
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Richly-adorned Mwila girl wearing a colourful wig with a long beaded extension and a large Missanga necklace
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Close up of a Vilanda, the giant necklace made of stacked up layers of beads, worn by married Mwila
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Mwila tribeswoman with a striking headgear extended by long trails of beads reaching an ornate belt
