Tears of Ethiopia, June 2026

words and images by Julianne Gauron
“Despite the heat, I cradle a cup of dark coffee, and the familiar smell mixes with an earthy, balsamic smoke wafting out of a tin can on the floor. The source of the smoke, myrrh, has been vital in the Horn of Africa for thousands of years, but is also mysterious. Ethiopia is believed to be one of the world’s most significant sources of myrrh resin, the hardened sap from Commiphora myrrha trees, and I’m here with an international team which we believe is researching myrrh in Ethiopia for the first time.
Team leads Dr Anjanette DeCarlo and Stephen Johnson have worked on frankincense for decades. Now they are two years into a project on myrrh. I am a documentary photographer passionate about stories of human connection to the land and each other, and documenting the lives of people who live on the margins.

We have arrived at the end of the rainy season, but the Horn of Africa has been experiencing a historic drought for years, and the rains have failed again. Children beg for water on the sides of the road. Everything is desiccated and the sap is barely running. Even with our Somali team members preparing the path ahead, this is not a place where people have any reason to trust us. As well as the drought, famine, kidnappings, and violence are constant threats. This is one of the reasons why frankincense and myrrh remain understudied; the trees thrive in harsh regions. 

My head is covered with a hijab, and with little water to wash, a bandana beneath helps keep some of the red dust out of my hair. My arms and legs are covered against the crushing heat, windblown grit, and for modesty in this predominantly Muslim region. Even so, with my shockingly white skin and confident strides, women are wary of me and my camera. But this is not unfamiliar as a documentary photographer, and my atrocious attempts at Somali go far, providing humour if nothing else…”