Photojournalism
Connected
Global Press Journal reporters carry their cameras as they work and live. The moments they capture highlight human connection across the globe.
Sort by
Location

Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Sabarathinam Thevarasa forges a knife at his metal workshop in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. Thevarasa, who has 50 years of experience, says he is happy to be self-employed at his age.

Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Alakendraraja Ramkumar hews wooden planks to build a fishing boat in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. Ramkumar worries that the rising cost of wood will limit production.

Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Mangaleswaran Kabilan prepares food for a customer in a trolley in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. Kabilan opened the business in 2019.

Mannar, Sri Lanka
Renchi Thevaraja, left, and Jerus Jeparson dry their grain harvest on a road in Mannar, Sri Lanka. Because the grain is worth more after it’s been dried, the farmers also purchase crops from nearby farmers to dry and sell.

Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Devotees, some carrying milk pots on their heads, walk to Inuvil Kandaswamy Temple in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. In this town, worshippers bring milk and freshly harvested paddy to the temple to commemorate Thaipusam during a Hindu harvest festival.

Velanai, Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Arumugam Sritharan repairs a television at a customer’s home in Velanai, Jaffna, Sri Lanka. Sritharan, who has 10 years of experience in wiring and plumbing, says it’s a challenge to find parts for older televisions.

Tirunelveli, Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Sarmila Sooriyakumar draws a portrait at her home in Tirunelveli, Jaffna, Sri Lanka. Sooriyakumar, who earns an average of $150 a month from selling her art, says customers typically give the pencil drawings as gifts.

Mannar, Sri Lanka
Pakiyam Sebamalai, left, and Solai Valliyamma weave flowers into garlands in Mannar, Sri Lanka. Hindu worshippers often visit temples on Friday evenings to make garlands and offer them to the gods.

Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Kularajasingam Sutharshan, left, shovels grain into a bag with colleagues at Kaithady Bridge in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. Sutharshan uses empty roads to have enough space to spread out and dry his harvest.

Mannar, Sri Lanka
Sereaf Sekariya squeezes gram dough from a pastry bag in Mannar, Sri Lanka. Sekariya sells snacks from his food cart in the evenings.

Karainagar, Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Arumugam Selvam prepares a shrimp net for the next day’s catch in Karainagar, Jaffna, Sri Lanka. Selvam, who has been fishing since he was 16, says the family business will not continue after his death since his children have left the industry.

Point Pedro, Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Thurairasa Koneswaran, who has constructed kites for 20 years, paints one of them at his shop in Point Pedro, Jaffna, Sri Lanka.

Cheddikulam, Vavuniya, Sri Lanka
Kanesamoorthy Theeban, left, explains a technical skill to apprentice Thiyagaraja Sutharsan in Cheddikulam, Vavuniya, Sri Lanka. Theeban has operated an auto repair shop out of his home since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Kodikamam, Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Revelers carry a statue of Lord Murugan during Skanda Sashti, a Hindu festival, outside a temple in Kodikamam, Jaffna, Sri Lanka. On the sixth day of the festival, devotees celebrate the deity’s victory over evil.

Cheddikulam, Vavuniya, Sri Lanka
From left, Rasalingam Mohanraj, Rasarathinam Vinotharan and Sagadevan Saruksan dig a well with a machine in Cheddikulam, Vavuniya, Sri Lanka. Since the groundwater level is low, workers dig borewells at a depth of 100 feet as an alternative to ordinary wells for agricultural needs.

Pandatharippu, Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Kanthasamy Kugasanth paints cement sculptures in Pandatharippu, Jaffna, Sri Lanka. Kugasanth, who has worked as a painter for over two years, says his employment has been affected by lockdowns to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Neerveli, Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Yoganathan Viththakan makes handicrafts with coconut shells in Neerveli, Jaffna, Sri Lanka. Vithagan says he promotes his business through Facebook and exports his handicrafts to Canada and Switzerland.

Cheddikulam, Vavuniya, Sri Lanka
Manokaran Chandrakala weaves a blanket at a handloom training center in Cheddikulam, Vavuniya district, Sri Lanka. The center, run by the Department of Industries, trains young women to make such goods as garments, towels and blankets in an effort to provide employment opportunities and to boost production in rural areas.

Cheddikulam, Vavuniya, Sri Lanka
Muthu Velumani adjusts his field’s boundaries in Cheddikulam, Vavuniya, Sri Lanka. Due to the monsoon in the northern part of the country, he had to reconstruct his paddy before he could sow the field.

Adampan, Mannar, Sri Lanka
Rawuthar Kowpath Umma harvests peanuts in Adampan, Mannar district, Sri Lanka. Locals can often find work in landowners’ fields during the harvest season.

Kodikamam, Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Sinnathamby Sinnapillai, left, and Paramanandar Vallikodi weave coconut leaves to fence their house in Kodikamam, Jaffna, Sri Lanka. In rural areas, where cement walls are hard to find, residents will often replace their coconut leaf fences twice a year.

Adampan, Mannar, Sri Lanka
From left, Pasith Pasarath, bottom, Jeyanthan Maheesan, top, and Immanuel Anthonithas collect straw in Adampan, Mannar district, Sri Lanka. The farmers will store the straw to feed cows during the upcoming rainy season.

Periyavilan, Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Anran Yogarasa Sakayapuspam packs lime paste in Periyavilan, Jaffna, Sri Lanka. The paste, a mixture of calcium oxide and water, is a household ingredient and is often combined with betel nut to produce a popular stimulant.