Which are the coolest shepherds in the world?

These are not shepherds, but goatherds in Yemen.

Well, they are female goatherds, but you can’t see that so well on the pictures.

And they look like something out of a bizarre fashion magazine.

Whether they are cool, we will try to find out in a moment.

To be precise, we are in Hadhramout, which is also called the cradle of mankind.

Here, archaeologists have discovered evidence of the transition from hunting and cattle raising to irrigated agriculture dating back at least 5,200 years. Livestock rearing is still an important part of Bedouin and rural life.

Mainly goats and some sheep are kept. Among the Bedouins, the tasks between men and women are clearly defined and strictly divided; herding, tending and caring for goats is left exclusively to women.

It is the women, especially young, unmarried women, who bear most of the responsibility for the herd. This responsibility requires a lot of hard work, all day long.

Sometimes you can see there a single woman, sometimes several, with her flock. Sometimes you can also see little girls or old women herding.

Usually the women leave their houses with the goats after sunrise .

They have with them: water in a water container made of goatskin, which helps to keep the water cool; some bread or mainly rice; some dried salted shark meat some tea leaves; a matchbox; and cooking utensils.

Almost all women in the valleys of Hadhramout and Do’an are dressed in black; women in the highlands and other parts of Hadhramout prefer black mixed with some colors.

They are veiled, wearing gloves and tall, pointed straw hats – known as modhalla or by some ghomama (both meaning ‘umbrella’).

These special tall and wide hats made of date palm straw are very good for keeping the women cool, no matter how hot it is.

Most of these shepherd women also have socks on.

Depending on how much the goats have to eat on the land where they move, the goatherd women can walk between 8 and 15 kilometers per day to graze their herds.

The goats eat during the walk.

The goatherds stop at noon to pray, eat lunch and rest. Later in the afternoon, they may take another short break.

They must make sure they are near their homes by late afternoon and are back home with their herds before sunset.

Keeping, tending and herding goats in Hadhramout is an art. The love, tenderness and care that the women give to their herds is incredible.

No matter how many goats they have in their herds – sometimes there are hundreds – the woman or women in charge of them know each and every one of them.

And she takes care of each one of those goats in a very special and caring way. Some goats are given names; and when little kids are born, these women show their utmost care and love – they cuddle the kids and do everything they can to make them feel comfortable and safe.

The goats are never beaten and no cruelty is ever inflicted on them. In the fields, in the valleys and on the plateaus, the women take advantage of the close bond between themselves and the goats to guide their herds as they wish.

The goats actually “listen” to them and even know when to stop or cross a road. The herd knows exactly which fields or places are off limits to them.

Sometimes there are hundreds -, the woman or women who care for them know each and every one of them.

The vast majority of Hadhrami women who tend goats and work in the fields are able read and write, that should be noted.

Access to the outside world is provided by the more than 1,000 television channels received via satellite dishes.

In many houses in Hadhramout (also the houses of the Bedouins) they can receive many of this channels freely, because they have these satellite dishes on their houses.

For most of these goat herders and field workers, watching television is one of their favorite pastimes.
And they love henna and gold, like lall Hadhrami women do.