Hi, this is Yvonne, eposide 4 (himba)
I think what you have to realise, is that they do over sixty hours of filming, and condense it in to one hour.
I really struggled in Namibia, I ended up in the back of an ambulance, with severe dehydration, and they struggled to get a vein, as they kept collapsing. I did have bottled water, but my hosts were always so thirsty, I kept giving them more.
I only had the company of the crew for about 20, to 30 minutes a day.
The rest of my time was with my tribe and on my own.
That way of life, is hard to take, the hunger that I felt daily, really gave me an understanding of the way that they live.
I did have the option of staying in a tent, and have daily showers, but thought that the tribe wouldnt really take to me, if I showed that I couldnt be one of them.
I felt really isolated and alone. All the animals had tapeworms, and even though I did eat the maize, there was dogs faeces everwhere.
In addition to the "child" wedding, there was also an exorcism of one of the women.
These guys have absolutely nothing. The wedding of the child was really hard to take. I dont actually know what happened to her on her wedding night, however the next day, I did want to talk to her, but her mother wouldnt allow it stating she was too shy. The look on that childs face was enough really, a real look of sadness across her face.
My reasons for doing this, were to exorcise ghosts from my own past, and have a feeling of peace so I could be a better mother to my children, and feel a sense of achievement and I suppose build a relationship with me.
I ran away from Ireland from a violent marriage 14 years ago, with my two children. All we had were the clothes on our back.
Coming to England and starting again from nothing has been a real sense of achievement for all of us.
Going to the tribe, was something I needed to do for myself, in order to accept who I was.
A common theme throughout all the episodes, is the inner value and love the women have for themselves.
Although we have more choices in the western world, we are under so much pressure these days, to be thin, to combine a career with raising a family, to run a home. Since I have come back home, I have realised that happiness comes from within each and every one of us. It is not something, we can externally find, long term anyway.
Concerning the comment about leaving my children. My eldest daughter is now 20, and my son 18. I have another little girl of 8, who was six at the time. It was a really struggle to leave her. She gave me letters to take with me, and when I was feeling really down, used open one. It really kept me going. All my children are incredibly proud of their mum.
I am so glad to be home and with them. I feel extremely lucky to have been chosen to do this, and it really has changed my life!
xxx