As we farewell 2019, we wanted you to see five photos of some of the people your generous support has made a difference to this past year.
Five photographers have shared their favourite images from the work they saw CARE implementing this year. They are all beautiful, compelling, and capture both the challenges of life in the developing world, and the joy experienced when things improve – thanks to you.
Doeun is growing up multilingual in Cambodia
by John Hewat
Doeun just wouldn’t. Stop. Posing.
Only eight years old, Doeun was super bored by our interview questions; she wanted to be playing with her friends, not talking to us about her school, where CARE-trained teachers are helping her and other students learn two languages. I knew I’d struggle to get a good photo of her – kids will be kids, after all.
But the moment I picked up my camera, she jumped into action, switching poses like a seasoned fashion model and flashing peace signs. A natural performer, her teacher said she has a talent for making people laugh, and she was definitely showing it off that day.
Eventually she did a big star jump for the camera, then walked off as if to say “Okay, show’s over, I’m done.”
Lucia survived disaster in Mozambique
by Josh Estey
It had been about a week since Cyclone Idai had devastated Lucia’s village, and the water was slowly receding. We waded through the mud to chat with her as she was preparing food in the place she once called home – now just a quagmire left behind by the receding waters.
She wasn’t emotional, it was all just a matter of fact: their home, their fields and their lives had been washed away.
“I have lost the crops, my clothes and the house,” she told me. “I only saved my children.”
There was only one thing to do: start again.
After a tragedy of this scale, that was all they could do. Keep moving forward and hope for things to get better.
The challenges of life in Sudan
By Sabine Wilke
It’s hot and dusty in Sudan.
Malnutrition among mothers and children is rampant there. I was visiting a CARE-supported nutrition centre when I was lucky enough to capture this photo.
The young girl and her brother had just received some help and were about to begin their long walk home. As I watched them walk away I thought to myself how poignantly that view captured the challenges of life in the arid landscape of Sudan.
Usually, when children receive nutrition support from one of these centres, they don’t have to return. I hope that will be the case for these two little ones.
Amaal’s only wish was to return to school in Yemen
By Jennifer Bose Ratka
I first heard about 10-year-old Amaal’s story from my colleagues in the CARE office in Aden. They had told me about a young girl who was unable to attend school and started helping out our Water, Sanitation and Hygiene team by teaching other kids in her neighborhood about good hygiene practices.
I was looking forward to meeting her in person and was not disappointed. In fact I was surprised by her maturity and intelligence. She’s very well-spoken and was eager to do something useful with her time since she couldn’t go to school because hers was destroyed in the bombing of Hodeidah.
Her only wish was to return to school – and I was so happy to find out that our CARE team has succeeded in getting her into a new school again despite the difficulties.
Moving towards equality in Bangladesh
By Jorja Currington
These are five participants in a Women’s Empowerment training course that CARE runs in garment factories in Bangladesh.
The training encourages women to take on leadership roles and teaches them the skills to speak up and take control of their careers – and their lives.
This photo was taken on a scorching hot day during a brief break in their training. They were all so bright and cheerful, and very excited to be getting their picture taken.
Without instruction, they threw their arms around each other and beamed with bright smiles as I snapped away.
Afterwards I got to see their training session, where they all participated with enthusiasm. It’s clear that the training is so important to them and is making a huge difference in their lives.
These are the smiles that prove it.
To all those who have generously supported us throughout 2019, thank you for making stories like these possible.
Read more about how your valuable support brings hope to families all around the world.
