Weyto – Tsamai

Weyto is a small crossroad village, home to the Tsamai people. Here you might follow the tar road to Jinka or take the gravel road to Turmi. At an altitude of 580 meters above sea level, it’s a hot place. Most travelers stop for refreshments. On Saturday there is a small but very interesting weekly market, mainly attended by Tsamai people but also Konso and Banna people.

The Weyto Valley

The village is situated in the Weyto Valley which is part of the Rift Valley. Village and valley are named after the river which flows into Lake Chew Bahir or Lake Stephanie.  Irrigation supports large-scale commercial cotton plantations.

Tsamai

Little is known about this group of around 10.000 people who live around Weyto. Like most of their neighbors, they are subsistence agro-pastoralist, growing crops and herding cattle. The language is related to the language of the Konso and Arbore people but in appearance and culture, they are closer to Banna and Hamar.