From Armenia to Zambia, World Vision’s award-winning photographers traveled the globe this year and brought back stories to inspire us to action and compassion. Here, they share 15 of their best photos of 2015 and the stories behind these images.
Weeks before I saw 5-year-old Nicole in Nicaragua, malnutrition was taking its toll. She didn’t have the energy to do simple things such as sing a song or play with other kids. But after eating fortified peanut butter paste for a few weeks, her weight was on the upswing and fatigue was a thing of the past. It’s encouraging to know such simple interventions can restore the vibrancy of a child. (©2015 World Vision/photo by Eugene Lee)
Neema, 10, and Harusi Morris, 12, collect clean water at the new water point near their home in Marafa, Kenya. Joseph, center, is a kiosk tenant who monitors the spigot and accepts a small fee for the fill-up. After the community got clean water in 2013, everything changed — a testament to water’s power to refresh and restore life. Without having to worry about unclean water, time can be spent on more life-giving things: studying, playing with friends, serving neighbors, or worshipping with a church community. (©2015 World Vision/photo by Chris Huber)
Milking a yak on a freezing morning in Mongolia takes courage and lots of practice. Sponsored child Dulamsuren, 12, and her family now have a thriving herd of animals thanks to a World Vision gift of sheep. This year I covered some emotionally difficult assignments in tough places, so witnessing Mongolian nomadic life was an immeasurable gift. (©2015 World Vision/photo by Jon Warren)
Felix Kansapato, 13, pushes a toy truck made out of wire and cardboard down a dirt road in Kapululwe, Zambia. To me, this handmade toy shows the ingenuity and creative potential in children all over the world. You just never know where the next great idea of our time will emerge. (©2015 World Vision/photo by Eugene Lee)
Shooting for the Gift Catalog is often comical and challenging — getting children, animals, and light to all perfectly align in a frame can be a nearly impossible task. Right before this shot in Guatemala, the sun had filtered through the clouds. Yennifer, 6, held her hands gently around the chick. I gave her the signal, and as soon as she let go, the chick hopped up on her shoulder. Yennifer giggled through the chaos, and I clicked. (©2015 World Vision/photo by Lindsey Minerva)
This photo seemed to quickly sum up what was happening with the refugees and migrants stuck in Serbia in August of this year. As I was trying to get a picture of the razor wire with the tents in the background, a mother carried her little girl up to the fence. The shiny wire intrigued the baby, and her little hand reaching toward it spoke to me of the longing of so many of the refugees stuck in limbo. (©2015 World Vision/photo by Laura Reinhardt)
While in Peru, I had the opportunity to visit Yoel’s school during his favorite class — cooking. The students prepared chocolates with a fruit filling. Wearing chefs hats and coats, they scurried between burners and countertops with focus and professionalism. Yoel’s classmate caught my eye as he tested the viscosity of the chocolate, his opposite arm tucked behind his back. It felt like I was watching a competitive cooking show, but with miniature adults as contestants. At the end of the hour, the students presented information on how much the ingredients cost, how many chocolates they were able to produce, what they could charge based on market value, and projected profits. (©2015 World Vision/photo by Lindsey Minerva)
The winter landscape in Amasia, Armenia, was one of the most beautiful and unyielding vistas that I’ve ever seen. Winter can last up to seven months out of the year here. I loved this little moment of connection between a mother and son as they walked through the desert-like snowscape to get water for the family. (©2015 World Vision/photo by Laura Reinhardt)
Two cousins share a laugh near Philippi, West Virginia, after they received new winter clothing from members of World Vision’s Women of Vision. The pair were excited to show off their new coats, hats, and gloves as a cool twilight set in. It’s easy for many of us to take for granted basic necessities like warm clothing. But simple moments like this remind me of the joy a child feels when they know they’re loved. (©2015 World Vision/photo by Chris Huber)
The afternoon I sat with Joel, 14, and his family, rain poured outside of their windowless house in Peru. Inside, their hospitality, warmth, and genuine care for one another created an entirely different environment. They talked about how faith had transformed them in a way that was evident to their community and neighbors. Joel’s father had overcome alcoholism, and the family started a new chapter after being involved with the World Vision’s Channels of Hope program through their local church. They considered their Bibles vital to their faith journey, talking excitedly about their favorite verses and proudly showing me their books. When it came to photographing Joel, I knew I needed a photo of him and his Bible. Shooting outdoors was out of the question, and the dimly lit room held little promise, light-wise. I attached a sync cord and flash to my camera and prayed. I clicked, bouncing light off the back wall, and when I checked the image on the back of my camera, the light perfectly matched the warm feeling in the room. (©2015 World Vision/photo by Lindsey Minerva)
The new normal: A mother and her son walk along a dirt road at the edge of a settlement for Syrian refugees in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon. I struggled to find a vantage point to show the expanse of some of the settlements. Atop a nearby roof, I watched the pair stroll back to their tent from the main road, probably returning from an errand. I realized this routine moment is so similar — yet so different — to what their walk from the market or bus stop would have been back home, in Syria. (©2015 World Vision/photo by Chris Huber)
A congregation erupts in praise during a Sunday service at the community church in Nyamagabe, Rwanda. During the 1994 genocide, neighbors here slaughtered neighbors. Now through World Vision’s peacebuilding efforts and by God’s grace, they have forgiven each other and worship side by side — a huge reason to praise God! (©2015 World Vision/photo by Jon Warren)
Tigran was born healthy, but a mysterious illness at age 2 affected the right side of his body. Now he must learn to use his left side to compensate. Despite the family’s poverty, his mother, Margarita, tried her best to keep their home in Armenia a warm and inviting place. I loved peering through her lace curtains into the living room where Tigran practiced writing with his left hand. (©2015 World Vision/photo by Laura Reinhardt)
While The Marshall Tucker Band plays from actress Patricia Heaton’s phone, she shows her sponsored child Mweemba (left) how to strike “air guitar” poses. I didn’t expect people from such different worlds — Hollywood and rural Zambia — to be lost in a moment together. The ability of music to break down barriers never ceases to amaze me. (©2015 World Vision/photo by Eugene Lee)
A sky full of brilliant stars swirls above a ger (yurt) on the Mongolian steppe. I spent a magical week living in the ger, waking up each morning before sunrise to record the life of a herding family, and then standing outside each night admiring the amazing sky and trying long exposures with my camera. (©2015 World Vision/photo by Jon Warren)
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