Upper Mustang, Nepal
In the outskirts of Lo Manthang, Yanzen Gurung hangs a ceremonial khada scarf as an offering to the gods who guard her ancestral homeland. She prepared to return to Kathmandu, where she now lives with her husband. The gesture, part farewell and part prayer, shows how migration reshapes even the most rooted traditions.
Kampala, Uganda
Genesis, who prefers to go by only his first name for fear of persecution, sits at home in Kampala. As an LGBTQ+ asylum seeker, he has faced barriers to safety. In just one example, a lawyer demanded US$ 3,000 U.S. to help with his asylum application, a fee he couldn’t afford. Photographer Nakisanze Segawa recalls taking several portraits in and around his home as his comfort shifted from open to guarded.
“I still dream about finding a place where I can live freely,” he says.
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Indigenous leaders and their supporters gather outside Argentina’s Supreme Court to protest constitutional reforms in Jujuy province that limit land rights. Photographer Lucila Pellettieri recalls the long march that brought them there and the conviction etched on their faces.
“They had crossed half the country to reach Buenos Aires,” she says. “Their energy, their courage — that’s what I hope people see when they look at this image.”
Lower Zambezi, Zimbabwe
Every ranger in the Akashinga unit is a woman, most recruited from nearby communities. Their approach to conservation focuses on de-escalation and accountability rather than confrontation, challenging long-held assumptions about who can lead in law enforcement and wildlife protection. Since publication, the program has expanded across southern Africa.
Every ranger in the Akashinga unit is a woman, most recruited from nearby communities. Their approach to conservation favors de-escalation and accountability rather than confrontation, challenging long-held assumptions about who can lead in wildlife protection. Since publication, the program has expanded across southern Africa. Photographer Kudzai Mazvarirwofa says the women embraced their gender as a source of strength and had one another’s backs.
“I saw women supporting each other, protecting each other.”
Khatgal, Mongolia
At the Blue Pearl Ice Festival on Khuvsgul Lake, Purevsambuu Bold drives a horse-drawn sled across the frozen surface, carrying visitors through Mongolia’s winter celebration. After a two-year pandemic hiatus, the festival’s 20th anniversary drew crowds honoring endurance and joy in subzero temperatures.
Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Barefoot devotees carry pots of milk toward Inuvil Kandaswamy Temple during the annual Thaipusam celebration in northern Sri Lanka. The festival honors the Hindu god Murugan and marks the harvest season, blending devotion and community traditions that have endured through years of civil conflict.
Aldama, Mexico
Carrying her 1-year-old son Hugo, Rosita Santiz walks a mountain path between Tabak and Xuxch’en in Chiapas. Paving of these rural roads began in 2020 but was repeatedly delayed by armed attacks from a neighboring community. Since publication, construction has resumed intermittently under police protection.
Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Seventeen-year-old Emilton Danushan rinses his father’s fishing nets after school at Pannai Beach in northern Sri Lanka. Like many students here, he balances lessons with labor, supporting his family while keeping pace with his studies.
Tribal Nations, United States
Before a parade in Oklahoma, A.J. Davilla gently places a war bonnet on his granddaughter Alyssa Granado, a princess in the Kiowa Tribe. The headdress, typically reserved for leaders, symbolizes honor and responsibility.
“There was tension at first as her family rushed to get her ready,” says photographer Amanda Hill. “Then her grandfather arrived, and the energy shifted from stress to reverence. I could hear him giving her quiet words of encouragement as he tied the feathers under her chin.”
Buenos Aires, Argentina
At Argentina’s 26th annual Pride March, Valentina Brishantina, founder of the collective Brigada Brillantina, dances before Congress beneath a cloud of glitter. Photographer Lucila Pellettieri remembers the power and connection that filled the street that day.
“The glitter felt poetic,” she says. “Something so small and yet so annoying to our enemies. In a moment when hate speech against diversity is growing again, I hope this image stands as a portrait of resistance.”
Tshopo Province, Democratic Republic of Congo
In a makeshift wooden classroom, children crowd together for lessons in Tshopo province. Informal schools like this one hold more than 60 students of mixed ages, proof of both families’ commitment to education and the state’s ongoing failure to provide adequate facilities.
Puerto Morelos, Mexico
Guitarist Wilbert González, saxophonist Anuska Moracho, and dancer Susana Esquinca perform flamenco at Los Gauchos restaurant in Puerto Morelos. Their Monday-night routine has become a local fixture, turning the seaside town into a small stage for Spanish tradition and Mexican artistry intertwined.
Jujuy Province, Argentina
Under the searing Andean sun, Walter Alancay swings a pickax into the gleaming salt flats of Salinas Grandes. Local miners balance centuries-old practices with modern pressures as companies seek the region’s lithium.
“This land belongs to us,” he says. “We want work, but we also want respect.”
Photographer Lucila Pellettieri remembers the sting of light and heat as she worked beside him, admiring the endurance of indigenous miners who have harvested salt for generations.
“The salt burned my skin and eyes,” she says. “This photo still moves me because it reflects the perseverance with which Indigenous peoples defend water, land, and Pachamama from mining interests.”
Chiapas, Mexico
A soft glow surrounds a shrine to Maricarmen Escobar López, a 16-year-old student found murdered in 2016. Her family’s home has become a place of remembrance and resistance in a region where femicide often goes unpunished. “We will never stop saying her name,” says her mother.
“The family allowed me into their lives and their grief,” says photographer Marissa Revilla.
Tariat soum, Mongolia
Herdsman Ulziimunkh Bat-Erdene guides cattle across the steppe in Tariat soum. Shorter grazing seasons and severe winters test Mongolia’s nomadic traditions, yet herders like Bat-Erdene continue to adapt through collective grazing and new weather-monitoring tools.
Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo
At the Alanine Market in Goma, poultry sellers call passersby, holding up live chickens that cost nearly $15 each. A government ban on imports from Uganda and Rwanda has cut supply, pushing up prices and deepening the strain on families already managing inflation and shortages.
Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Manual Uthayachandra, known locally as Chandra, leads the Association of Families Searching for Their Disappeared Relatives. Her son vanished during Sri Lanka’s civil war. Here she sits quietly, clutching a bag of documents about him that she considers too sacred to set down. The portrait conveys decades of grief carried by mothers still waiting for answers.
“She was lost in thought, stroking the bag that held her son’s papers,” says photographer Vetrichelvi Chandrakala. “I had to prepare my mind and dare to take this photograph.”
Suchiapa, Mexico
A performer carries an iguana on his shoulder during the Feast of Corpus Christi, a Zoque religious festival in Chiapas where participants bring live animals that are said to embody the divine. The celebration blends Catholic ritual with centuries-old Indigenous symbolism.
Kampala, Uganda
Wearing a bright Lesu skirt and traditional jewelry, Nakai Korobe stands in her village in Moroto district, a region deeply affected by climate change. Rising temperatures and erratic rainfall have made food production increasingly uncertain. Photographer Nakisanze Segawa remembers being welcomed into her homestead, surrounded by goats, chickens and children just out of frame.
“Her openness and warmth made the portrait easy,” she says. “The colors express her personality.”
Lusaka, Zambia
Members of the Inganzo Ngari troupe from Rwanda perform traditional folk dances at the Agriculture and Commercial Show in Lusaka. The dancers’ movements fuse pride and precision, linking their homeland’s heritage to audiences across southern Africa.
“I fought my way through the crowd to capture their color and energy,” says photographer Prudence Phiri.
Mexico City, Mexico
Known by his b-boy name Arfo, Rodolfo Arturo Gómez Lavarrios, 23, practices breakdancing in a public park in Mexico City. Finding a place to dance is often difficult — floors are uneven and security guards sometimes ask him to leave — yet he returns daily, spinning to claim his own space in the capital’s streets.
Bunia, Democratic Republic of Congo
Pregnant again after losing a newborn while fleeing violence, Esther Wabiwa rests at a camp for displaced people in Bunia. Her story reveals how conflict and limited health care endanger women across eastern DRC. Since publication, community clinics have expanded maternal support programs in the area. Photographer Noella Nyirabihogo says she remembers the quiet resilience of the women in the camp living with hunger and hope in equal measure.
“There was no sign of food being prepared, only the cry of hunger in the air,” she says. “Yet the women carried themselves with a strength and dignity that deeply moved me. This image reminds me how war takes lives, but women still create life in its midst.”
Erdenebulgan, Mongolia
Sixty-eight-year-old herder Bilegdemberel Daramragchaa holds hands with his granddaughter Azzaya Damdinsuren, 5, outside their home in Mongolia’s northern grasslands. He remembers when rains came softly, nourishing the land. Now, storms and drought arrive with force. As the climate grows harsher, he teaches Azzaya to care for their animals and endure uncertainty.
“Mongolians will exist as long as livestock exists,” he says.
Puebla, Mexico
Dancers from Compañía de Danza Antoinette perform The Nutcracker in the central courtyard of Casa de la Cultura Pedro Ángel Palou Pérez in Puebla. Their performance brings classical ballet to public spaces, where families gather to watch the holiday tradition under open skies. The scene reflects how local artists sustain Mexico’s cultural heritage through community performance.
Tangmarg, Indian-administered Kashmir
Through falling snow, Danish Amin walks home from tutoring classes in Tangmarg. Students here travel long distances through deep drifts for extra lessons that prepare them for exams. His determined stride reflects how seriously Kashmiri youth pursue education despite the weather.
Vattappalai, Sri Lanka
Surrounded by stacks of handwritten pages, T. Koyilaar Sivasaamy records the legends of Kannaki Amman, a Hindu goddess. He has completed about 30 manuscripts and plans to donate them to his local temple so future generations can preserve the stories.
Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of Congo
In Ituri province, farmers from the long-feuding Lendu and Hema tribes tend rows of cacao together, their cooperative led mostly by women. Each seedling represents reconciliation in motion, an act of faith that shared labor can mend generations of conflict.
Jaffna, Sri Lanka
At a farm outside Jaffna, Kandiah Thaya tramples onions underfoot to loosen dust before bringing them to market. The rhythmic motion has long marked harvest season here, where small producers still rely on traditional techniques to prepare crops for sale.
Chiapas, Mexico
In the Xiximtontic displacement camp, Catarina Santiz, 42, sits inside her temporary home built from plastic sheets, sticks, and a corrugated roof. She and her family fled armed conflict in the Chiapas highlands and have lived here for years, waiting for safety and land to return to. Photographer Marissa Revilla says connecting with displaced families requires empathy and trust.
“Getting closer to the displaced population was very shocking,” she says. “Catarina was very kind to let me photograph her and talk to her. Being sympathetic and creating trust is very important.”
Marwah Valley, Indian-administered Kashmir
A planned hydroelectric dam once threatened to displace more than 1,600 residents in Kashmir, though local people believed the true number would be far higher. Families waited for word on whether their homes would be lost. Since the publication of this story, and until this gallery’s release, the dam was never built.
Oaxaca, Mexico
In his family workshop, sculptor José Antonio García, who is blind, molds a clay face by touch while his wife, Reina Mendoza Sánchez, shapes the details. Together they prove that artistry can thrive without sight, their collaboration blending trust and creativity.
Kathmandu, Nepal
Environmental scientist Hemu Kafley, founder of the Kathmandu Institute of Applied Science, stands beside her instruments for measuring Nepal’s changing weather. Determined to give farmers better local data, she built a low-cost mobile weather station now used in rural communities. Her work shows how innovation can protect livelihoods as drought and erratic rainfall reshape the region.
“My proudest moment was turning our prototype into a product that serves people,” she says.
Mexico City, Mexico
Painted head-to-toe in gold, Jesús Vázquez performs as revolutionary Emiliano Zapata for tips on Francisco I. Madero Street.
“What I like most is that we’re on an important street,” he says. “There’s culture and knowledge and many people come to learn.”
Bayandalai soum, Mongolia
During a traditional ceremony in the Gobi Desert, Buyandalai Ulambayar gallops across open steppe, raising a tsatsal wooden spoon filled with horse milk toward the sky. The gesture, a wish for abundance, connects him to centuries of Mongolian ritual that ties prosperity to the land. Photographer Uranchimeg Tsogkhuu recalls the sound and strength of that moment.
“This is a photo I can still hear,” she says. “As the horsemen circled the encampment clockwise, singing ‘Tsoon tsod’ — a phrase meaning ‘let the animals be satisfied’ — and lifting spoonfuls of milk toward the sky, the sound and energy were overwhelming. Even now, I can still hear their voices.”
Kathmandu, Nepal
Twelve-year-old Krishna Shahi plays a Newari drum during the Indrajatra festival in Kathmandu’s Basantapur Square. Her steady rhythm rises above the crowd, a sound once reserved for men but now carried proudly by young girls. Photographer Kalpana Khanal says she was struck by the girl’s confidence, calling it a symbol of joy and progress.
Bindura, Zimbabwe
Nineteen-year-old Oliz Matope rests near a mine shaft in Bindura after hauling soil from underground tunnels. Once a street vendor, he turned to small-scale mining hoping for steadier income. Photographer Linda Mujuru remembers that he was hesitant at first, then relaxed and smiled once he understood the story’s purpose — a small gesture of trust that stayed with her.
“Just beyond the frame, other miners were cheering and laughing, excited to have a journalist there,” she says. “This photo stands out to me because it captures their reality and resilience. I hope people see more than just a miner — I hope they see a person, someone carving out dignity in a tough environment.”
Southern Mexico
Amid a crowd of travelers in southern Mexico, Hilda Honoria Vázquez, 37, holds her infant son while gazing north. She left Honduras, leaving three children behind, to join a caravan bound for the United States.
“I just want my children to have a chance,” Hilda says.
“After interviewing Hilda, I asked to photograph her,” says photographer Marissa Revilla. “We connected in that moment, surrounded by noise and movement, and I felt the weight of her journey.”
Dalanzadgad, Mongolia
Byambasaikhan Sanjid fits an insulated vest on one of his sheep to protect it from winter cold. Simple innovations like this have become vital for herders facing unpredictable temperatures. Since this story’s publication, demand for the design has spread across several provinces. Photographer Uranchimeg Tsogkhuu remembers the cold air, the quiet efficiency of his work, and the warmth of his spirit.
“Although the air outside was freezing, the warmth of his spirit was unmistakable,” she says. “Some photos stay with you because they hold more feeling than you can see; his eyes showed that truth.”
Kathmandu, Nepal
During the Indra Jatra festival, a masked Lakhe dancer from the Newar community twirls through Basantapur Square, invoking the Hindu god of rain. Photographer Kalpana Khanal recalls weaving through the surge of people to stay close to the performer.
“When they stopped to dance, it was finally possible to photograph them,” she says.
Manatí, Puerto Rico
Breezes off the Atlantic ripple through Yayi Ponce Maldonado’s hair as she stands near the shore in Manatí. An LGBTQ+ advocate and artist, she is part of a community of Puerto Ricans redefining what home and pride mean after years of migration and change.
Komanda, Democratic Republic of Congo
In the town of Komanda, health workers move carefully among tents marked Ebola Response. Their protective suits, symbols of safety to some, inspire fear in others who feel global health efforts ignore local customs.
Salquil Grande, Guatemala
At a schoolyard hand-washing station, Ana Bernal, 11, rubs soap across her palms as her teacher explains how to save water. In this Nebaj community, drought and deforestation have made clean water scarce. Families now teach conservation at home and at school, ensuring the next generation learns to protect their most fragile resource.
Indian-administered Kashmir
Shameema Akhter, 25, sits at home recovering from a gunshot wound sustained while walking past a protest in 2016. Her case mirrors that of many Kashmiri women disabled by conflict who receive little or no government assistance. Photographer Aliya Bashir recalls the quiet weight of that moment, when silence and strength coexisted.
“Even before I clicked the shutter, I could feel her struggle and strength,” she says. “This photo reminds me that storytelling demands empathy and responsibility — that everyone deserves to be seen with respect, not pity.”
Mexico City, Mexico
In Mexico City’s historic center, Raymundo Domínguez, 33, sells colorful balloons on the eve of Three Kings Day, the holiday marking the end of the Christmas season. Children tie their letters to the strings and release them skyward for the kings to read.
Kathmandu, Nepal
Three-year-old Sita Yadav plays with pigeons near Basantapur Durbar Square, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Kathmandu. Visitors often scatter grain for the birds, turning the ancient temple grounds into an impromptu playground. The moment captures quiet joy in the heart of a city where centuries of history unfold around everyday life.
Pokhara, Nepal
Paragliders float above the edge of Sarangkot, a hilltop village overlooking Pokhara and the Annapurna range in central Nepal. Veteran adventurer Lakpa Tsheri Sherpa, who broke the world free-flight record in 2011, runs a paragliding company here and a kiwi farm back home in Solukhumbu, refusing the pull of working abroad.
“I don’t want to go abroad. I want to work and live in Nepal,” he says.
Puebla, Mexico
In Puebla’s Casa de la Cultura courtyard, Yesica Sabino Serrano dances in traditional Nahua attire with the Xihuetzca Ixpocatl Collective. The group works to preserve the Náhuatl language and elevate Indigenous women’s voices through art and movement.
“This collective makes me proud,” says photographer Patricia Zavala Gutiérrez. “Their dances are more than performances; they’re acts of cultural survival.”
Kathmandu, Nepal
Among piles of bricks left by the 2015 earthquake, Buddhist monk Babu Lal Buddha stands in quiet meditation at Basantapur Durbar Square. Though no Buddhist temples remain here, his presence reminds visitors that faith crosses boundaries of space and belief. Since this story’s publication, restoration of the square’s heritage sites has continued steadily.
Acapetahua, Mexico
Fisherman Luis Cruz hauls a heavy net from the Los Cerritos Lagoon in Chiapas. Families here rely on fishing for income, but declining water levels and pollution threaten both livelihoods and traditions. Since publication, community groups have begun small restoration projects to preserve the lagoon.
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Soap bubbles drift through the air as Catalina Tomás performs during a protest against new restrictions on street art. Photographer Lucila Pellettieri recalls how Catalina created “a bubble of magic and joy” amid the grey backdrop of the city and the persecution of artists.
“Her expression framed by the bubbles still makes me smile,” she says. “It reminds me that we can always find sparks of beauty and joy, even in challenging contexts.”
Kathmandu, Nepal
In Khokana, women bend over emerald rice paddies, their hands moving rhythmically through flooded fields. The monsoon brings both life and challenge to small farming villages, where women carry much of the labor that sustains Nepal’s food supply.
Upper Mustang, Nepal
Dolker Gurung embraces her mother at their home in Samzong, a centuries-old village in Nepal’s Upper Mustang region. The two prepare to leave together as the community relocates after years of drought and water scarcity.
Kathmandu, Nepal
Members of the Maharjan caste construct the towering chariot of Seto Machhendranath, a deity whose procession winds through Kathmandu each year. About 40 volunteers work for a week to build the wooden structure, a feat of teamwork and devotion that marks the start of festival season.
Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir
Families gather along a Srinagar street as Ramadan prayers echo through the valley. Lantern light glows on faces turned toward the mosque, marking a season of fasting and reflection that unites communities across the region.
Lake Kivu, Rwanda
Morning mist drifts over Lake Kivu, where boats shuttle between villages that depend on its water for transport, food, and healing. For residents, the lake defines both livelihood and leisure, its rhythms guiding daily life along Rwanda’s western border.
Santo Tomás Jalieza, Mexico
At her backstrap loom, Crispina Navarro weaves bright textiles in Oaxaca’s Santo Tomás Jalieza. Girls here learn the craft from a young age, continuing a tradition that supports families and keeps Zapotec artistry alive.
South India
In southern India, a woman weeps beside the body of her husband, Thees Gooden, as relatives gather for his funeral. Within this tribal community, death rituals bring together entire villages in shared mourning, binding families through music, color, and remembrance. Her grief is both personal and communal, echoing traditions that have endured for generations.
Kathmandu, Nepal
Srijana Shrestha’s husband was killed in 2002, during Nepal’s civil war. Two decades later, she continues to seek recognition for victims’ families as the country reckons with the war’s unfinished truth-and-justice process. Shrestha is pictured here in her home in Kirtipur.
Lusaka, Zambia
Waving fresh palm branches, Emelda Chola leads congregants in song at the Cathedral of the Child Jesus. The Palm Sunday procession marks the beginning of Holy Week and recalls Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. Across Zambia, these ceremonies unite city dwellers and rural visitors in a shared expression of faith.
Lower Zambezi, Zimbabwe
Members of Zimbabwe’s all-female Akashinga ranger unit prepare for an anti-poaching patrol. Dressed in camouflage, Margaret Masowe adjusts her gear with help from fellow ranger Primrose. Photographer Kudzai Mazvarirwofa remembers the mood vividly.
“They had just lost three teammates, yet their laughter and determination filled the air,” she says.
Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir
At sunset on the banks of Dal Lake, men cast their lines as golden light dances across the water. Photographer Raihana Maqbool says she stopped mid-walk, struck by the stillness of the scene.
“The view was spellbinding,” she recalls. “The light was beautiful, and I thought this would make a great photograph.”
