Among the scattered boulders in the parched Dogon County in Mali, there's a small village by the name of Bamba.Each year as the dry season reaches its peak, there's just one sacred pond remaining and that's full of Catfish.
Fishing throughout the year is not allowed until the special day when the crazy ritual of Antogo takes place.
On this day many hundreds of men from Bamba will jump into the lake with their cane traps and their bare hands to catch as many as they can. The fishing frenzy will last for about fifteen minutes.
The women of the village meanwhile are making themselves ready for the feasting that will take place that night.
Climate change has happened here and the once lush green landscape has become dry and unusable.
The water of the lake was in past times considered sacred and was populated by good spirits that would keep the villages supplied with tons of fish. Not any more.
Those good days are gone and this small lake remains the last vestige of a once fertile land.
Photos by Matteo Bertolino. There's more to know here...
