VMI

Verge Magazine
Travel With Purpose Photo Contest
Shortlist, 2011

Verge Magazine, the Go Global Expo and Travel CUTS are proud to present an exhibition of outstanding travel photography from around the world. The images selected for this exhibition have been chosen by a panel of professional photographers and Verge editorial staff, and represent the very best of more than 1,500 entries submitted by Verge readers as part of our fifth annual Travel With Purpose Photo Contest.

Verge would like to acknowledge everyone who submitted photographs this year and thank them for sharing the memorable moments that have made their travels meaningful.

Produced with the support of the Government of Canada through the Canadian International Development Agency.

  • BOUDAUD L 3 2
  • MCKAY SE 3 4
  • ZONJIC M 3 4
  • YU J 3 1
  • ZONJIC M 3 3
  • REID ALLIN LL 3 4
  • PEDROSA MA 3 1
  • PALAVEETTIL S 3 1
  • Lymburner EA 3 2
  • LENSINK N 3 2
  • Harris BC 3 3
  • Gagnon A 3 1
  • FOKKENS JF 3 4
  • FOKKENS JF 3 2
  • DUBROY RH 3 3
  • PERRON S 1 1
  • PAUL A 1 4
  • MCKAY SE 1 4
  • Labikova B 1 5
  • kundu s 1 1
  • KIRCHNER D 1 2
  • Karmakar S 1 4
  • Karmakar S 1 1
  • ISLAM FI 1 5 CMYK
  • ISLAM FI 1 3.JPG
  • ISLAM FI 1 1.JPG
  • HARYONO YT 1 1
  • GOEMANS JA 1 3
  • FOKKENS JF 1 5
  • eternal 1 2
  • DEWATWAL M 1 1
  • DE VERA A 1 1
  • TUPPER JM 2 1
  • SNELL GJ 2 3
  • SHIMONOV M 2 2
  • RASOAMIARAMANANA F 2 1
  • PATEL A 2 4
  • ONURLU FS 2 4
  • ONURLU FS 2 1
  • MITCHELL ND 2 2
  • MCNEILL P 2 2
  • MCKINNON KA 2 3
  • MARTEL MM 2 3
  • KHAN AH 2 2
  • Karmakar S 2 3
  • FOKKENS JF 2 4
  • DOMA S 2 1
  • BUCHWALD JD 2 1 CMYK
  • BRUNTON HJS 2 3
  • BRUNTON HJS 2 1
  • PROJECTS & ISSUES

    1. Doctors Who Don't Give Up
    Sabalebougou District, Bamako, Mali
    Despite insufficient funds, women's health in the communities served by CSCOMs (Centres de Santé Communautaire au Mali) continues to improve thanks to determined doctors like the one pictured here.
    Laëtitia Boudaud

    BOUDAUD L 3 2 BOUDAUD L 3 2
    BOUDAUD L 3 2
  • PROJECTS & ISSUES

    2. Stare
    San Blas Islands, Kuna Yala, Panama
    A Kuna woman selling molas (blouses) to tourists on the San Blas Islands. Tourism brings a few new problems to the self-governed indigenous community of 45 000, including an influx of garbage and a strain on the natural resources and environment.
    Steve Mckay

    MCKAY SE 3 4 MCKAY SE 3 4
    MCKAY SE 3 4
  • PROJECTS & ISSUES

    3. Barracuda
    Utila, The Bay Islands, Honduras
    With increasing tourism, the Utilian waters are being over-fished to satisfy the demand for seafood in restaurants. When the coral reef is being over-fished, it begins to die. This reef is currently the top attraction for tourists coming to the island, as well as the industry that provides most of the local employment. Laws defining catching seasons and bans have been difficult to implemenet and enforce, often inhabiting a grey area with the fishing communities.
    Maja Zonjic

    ZONJIC M 3 4 ZONJIC M 3 4
    ZONJIC M 3 4
  • PROJECTS & ISSUES

    4. Children of the Holy City
    Varanasi, India
    The Learn for Life charity, an NGO working to provide education and medical assistance to those who can't afford it, sits in the middle of the city of Varanasi, one of India's oldest and holiest cities. During a snack break in one of the classrooms, two boys look out from the small enclosed room. These kids are like students in any school, hopeful that one day they can achieve their childhood dreams - though they may face more obstacles than others.
    Jessica Yu

    YU J 3 1 YU J 3 1
    YU J 3 1
  • PROJECTS & ISSUES

    5. A Murky Foundation
    Camponado, Utila, The Bay Islands, Honduras
    The island of Utila is a diving hotspot for tourists, though you would never guess it if you stepped into Camponado, its poorest neighbourhood. To build houses for Spanish immigrants after the tourist boom, mangrove trees were cut down and houses were built over swampland filled with rocks and, eventually, garbage and sewage that has nowhere else to go. The area has become an ideal breeding ground for numerous diseases, and some researchers anticipate devasting consequences to the area within the next 10 years.
    Maja Zonjic

    ZONJIC M 3 3 ZONJIC M 3 3
    ZONJIC M 3 3
  • PROJECTS & ISSUES

    6. Nohayquiensepa ("Nobody Knows")
    Aluna Theatre, Toronto, Canada
    This multimedia production is inspired by documented ignominious activities of Canadian mining conglomerates in Central and South America. It depicts the fragility of life in places like the Columbian town of Puerto Berrio where human rights are eclipsed by corporate fiscal objectives. Initiatives by foreign investors have spurred conflict between rural (often indigenous) landowners, the government and the paramilitary, while also generating adverse socio-economic changes and contaminating the natural resources of many rural communities. Pictured: Victoria Mata, dancer and choreographer.
    Lola Reid Allin

    REID ALLIN LL 3 4 REID ALLIN LL 3 4
    REID ALLIN LL 3 4
  • PROJECTS & ISSUES

    7. Recycling Run
    Jaipur, India
    A boy on a bike saddled with bottles for recycling navigates the chaotic traffic in Jaipur. With limited recycling infrastructure, Jaipur relies largely on young boys who sift through garbage on the streets to take care of recycling. The boys return the plastic to a plant for a small refund.
    Mark Pedrosa

    PEDROSA MA 3 1 PEDROSA MA 3 1
    PEDROSA MA 3 1
  • PROJECTS & ISSUES

    8. The Displaced People
    Darjeeling, India
    An elderly woman in a Tibetan refugee camp in Darjeeling knits lamb wool caps to be sold in a Tibetan store. My visit to the camp had a profound impact on me, particularly because of the older individuals. They smiled at me and greeted me with "tashi deleh", but there was an underlying sadness in their faces. Memories of fleeing from their home to this northeastern Indian state were still fresh - a feeling later confirmed when one of them said, "Tibet will be always in my heart, 'til I die."
    Sunitha Palaveettil

    PALAVEETTIL S 3 1 PALAVEETTIL S 3 1
    PALAVEETTIL S 3 1
  • PROJECTS & ISSUES

    9. Waiting
    Chabin, Haiti
    At this mobile health clinic, the waiting room is often flooded with children from neighbouring villages who are unable to attend school due to financial difficulties. Many families choose to send just one child to school for their family, typically the oldest male. At this mobile clinic, the waiting room was often flooded with children from neighbouring villages who, like Nixon, are unable to attend school.
    Elisabeth Lymburner

    Lymburner EA 3 2 Lymburner EA 3 2
    Lymburner EA 3 2
  • PROJECTS & ISSUES

    10. City Slicker
    Afar, Ethiopia
    A researcher (far left) with a large east-African health NGO, AMREF, tries to come up with socio-economic categories for a survey he is planning. Statistics are hard to create when income is measured in goats, cows and camels. These local men also didn’t want to discuss individual property or wealth.
    Neil Lensink

    LENSINK N 3 2 LENSINK N 3 2
    LENSINK N 3 2
  • PROJECTS & ISSUES

    11. It's All Right in the End
    Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh, India
    A doctor inoculates a village child at Sadguru Netra Chikitsalaya (SNC), a 350-bed charity eye hospital and medical institution serving a population of approximately 25 million. In 2005, when this image was taken, the hospital increased its numbers of sight-restoring eye surgeries from 23, 000 to 45, 000 cases. This photograph shows one of hundreds of visits by medical teams to the villages around the hospital's location in Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh. Seva Canada, an international eyecare charity founded in 1982 and based in Vancouver, BC, supports the ophthalmological programmes at SNC.
    Brian Harris

    Harris BC 3 3 Harris BC 3 3
    Harris BC 3 3
  • PROJECTS & ISSUES

    12. Elephant Greetings
    Elephant Nature Park, Thailand
    A rescued elephant meets its new family for the first time. The introduction can last for hours and is filled with noise and trumpeting from the elephants as they "feel" each other's trunks and facial features to get to know one another.
    Allison Gagnon

    Gagnon A 3 1 Gagnon A 3 1
    Gagnon A 3 1
  • PROJECTS & ISSUES

    13. Lending a Hand
    Pashupatinath, Kathmandu, Nepal
    A volunteer helps to bathe an elderly Nepali man in this ashram in Pashupatinath. He lives here with 20 other individuals because their families have abandoned them, being unable to support them financially or because they are a burden/disgrace to the family. Local and international volunteers come to help with the daily chores and other tasks involved in caring for this group of people.
    Jeremy Fokkens

    FOKKENS JF 3 4 FOKKENS JF 3 4
    FOKKENS JF 3 4
  • PROJECTS & ISSUES

    14. Work
    Surkhet, Nepal
    An 11-year-old Nepali girl works in the brickyards of Surkhet, Nepal. Her day starts at 6 a.m. alongside many children her own age, in conditions where the heat often exceeds 40 degrees Celcius. She works 14-hour days, six to seven days a week.
    Jeremy Fokkens

    FOKKENS JF 3 2 FOKKENS JF 3 2
    FOKKENS JF 3 2
  • PROJECTS & ISSUES

    15. Digging for Water
    Ireli, Dogon Country, Mali
    In a hand-dug well along the Bandiagara Escarpment, where water is scarce, a young excavator waits for his teammates to carry soil and rock to the surface. Once they break through the water table to reach the groundwater below, the villagers will have a water source closer to their homes, though they will still have to hand-bail the water.
    Robert Du Broy

    DUBROY RH 3 3 DUBROY RH 3 3
    DUBROY RH 3 3
  • PEOPLE

    16. The Llama's Execution
    Altiplano, Bolivia
    In the Altiplano of Bolivia, llamas' executions are practiced in the local native culture to thank Pachamama, or Mother Earth.
    Stéphanie Perron

    PERRON S 1 1 PERRON S 1 1
    PERRON S 1 1
  • PEOPLE

    17. The Blind Beggar
    Kolkata, India
    A blind woman with her child begs on the street following prayers for Eid-ul-Adha, a Muslim holiday.
    Angshuman Paul

    PAUL A 1 4 PAUL A 1 4
    PAUL A 1 4
  • PEOPLE

    18. Fortune Teller
    Hue, Vietnam
    This 75-year-old lady sits on the Japanese bridge outside of Hue and tells tourists their fortunes for a small fee.
    Steve Mckay

    MCKAY SE 1 4 MCKAY SE 1 4
    MCKAY SE 1 4
  • PEOPLE

    19. A Morning Flame
    Varanasi, India
    Two Indian men in the River Ganges going through their morning routine.
    Beata Labikova

    Labikova B 1 5 Labikova B 1 5
    Labikova B 1 5
  • PEOPLE

    20. Holi Bath
    Gangasagar, India
    A woman bathes in Gangasagar along the Bay of Bengal after celebrating Holi, the Hindu festival of colours.
    Shibaji Kundu

    kundu s 1 1 kundu s 1 1
    kundu s 1 1
  • PEOPLE

    21. Charmed
    Vinyaka, India
    This married woman was watching me taking photos of children in her village. I motioned to take an image of her and she began to smile but modestly pulled her headcover to hide her face. I just managed to capture the sparkle and smile in her eye.
    Dan Kirchner

    KIRCHNER D 1 2 KIRCHNER D 1 2
    KIRCHNER D 1 2
  • PEOPLE

    22. Inhale
    Kolkata, India
    A Sikh priest smokes charas (a hand-made, hashish form of cannibis) through a chillum, a traditional pipe usually made of clay.
    Sourav Karmakar

    Karmakar S 1 4 Karmakar S 1 4
    Karmakar S 1 4
  • PEOPLE

    23. Let's Play Holi
    Kolkata, India
    A family welcomes spring during Holi, the Hindu festival of colours, celebrated by lighting bonfires and covering each other in coloured powder and water.
    Sourav Karmakar

    Karmakar S 1 1 Karmakar S 1 1
    Karmakar S 1 1
  • PEOPLE

    24. Worshipper
    Kolkata, India
    A worshipper during the Hindu folk festival of Charak Puja. The celebrations are held after a month of fasting to satisfy Lord Shiva and involve being made up to represent Hindu dieties and other rituals.
    Fakrul Islam

    ISLAM FI 1 5 CMYK ISLAM FI 1 5 CMYK
    ISLAM FI 1 5 CMYK
  • PEOPLE

    25. Silent Worker
    Sylhet, Bangladesh
    This woman works in one of Bangladesh's largest stoneyards. In order to support her family, she spends every day moving stones and bricks from the yard into cargo holds alongside men who have traditionally done this kind of hard labour.
    Fakrul Islam

    ISLAM FI 1 3.JPG ISLAM FI 1 3.JPG
    ISLAM FI 1 3.JPG
  • PEOPLE

    26. Daily Life
    Assam, India
    A young girl brings water for her family through the hills in India's Assam province.
    Fakrul Islam

    ISLAM FI 1 1.JPG ISLAM FI 1 1.JPG
    ISLAM FI 1 1.JPG
  • PEOPLE

    27. Old Bicycle
    Serdang Bedagai, Indonesia
    A plantation worker collects oil palm fruits using his bike in the Serdang Bedagai district of northern Sumatra.
    Y.T. Haryono

    HARYONO YT 1 1 HARYONO YT 1 1
    HARYONO YT 1 1
  • PEOPLE

    28. The Village Poet
    Gorkha, Nepal
    This man greeted us at one of the local meeting spots in the village of Ludidamgade, where he mentioned his profession as the local poet. We were there as part of Uniterra's International Seminar programme, a joint project between World University Service of Canada and the Centre for International Studies and Cooperation, researching Community Based Forest Enterprises (CBFEs) like the production of biodegradable plates made from leaves.
    Jennifer Goemans

    GOEMANS JA 1 3 GOEMANS JA 1 3
    GOEMANS JA 1 3
  • PEOPLE

    29. Left Behind
    Kathmandu, Nepal
    An elderly Nepali man is bathed by a volunteer at an ashram along the Bagmati River in Pashupatinath. Families bring their elderly relatives here when they can no longer care for them because of their age or disabilities.
    Jeremy Fokkens

    FOKKENS JF 1 5 FOKKENS JF 1 5
    FOKKENS JF 1 5
  • PEOPLE

    30. Pilgrim
    Kolkata, India
    A pilgrim on the banks of the Ganges River, celebrating the dark night of Ambasaya (the new moon) leading up to the Hindu festival, Durga Puja. The festival is devoted to the Mother Durga and is celebrated throughout India in the autumn with 10 days of festivities.
    Ashis Banerjee

    eternal 1 2 eternal 1 2
    eternal 1 2
  • PEOPLE

    31. Tea Maker
    Dewas, India 
    A Rajasthani tea maker ladles some chai. 
    Mukesh Dewatwal

    DEWATWAL M 1 1 DEWATWAL M 1 1
    DEWATWAL M 1 1
  • PEOPLE

    32. After a Hard Day's Work
    Marikina,Philippines
    Farmers bathe their carabaos (domesticated water buffalos) in the river after a hard day's work in the fields.
    Arturo De Vera Jr.

    DE VERA A 1 1 DE VERA A 1 1
    DE VERA A 1 1
  • PLACES

    33. Good Luck
    Huashan, Shaanxi, China
    Padlocks are permanently fastened to a chain-link fence at one of the highest peaks of Huashan. These padlocks are sold to hikers who wish to fasten them at the top of the mountain to give good luck to their ancestors, bringing the good luck as close to heaven as possible.
    Justin Tupper

    TUPPER JM 2 1 TUPPER JM 2 1
    TUPPER JM 2 1
  • PLACES

    34. Run, Llama, Run
    Altiplano, Bolivia
    Early in the morning on a fall day, a llama runs by Laguna Colorado ("Red Lagoon"), a shallow sea salt lake frequented by flamingoes in the southern Bolivian desert.
    Greg John Snell

    SNELL GJ 2 3 SNELL GJ 2 3
    SNELL GJ 2 3
  • PLACES

    35. Surfing the Outback
    Hyden, Australia
    Wave Rock is a natural rock formation that is shaped like a tall, breaking ocean wave - hence its name.
    Mirelle Shimonov

    SHIMONOV M 2 2 SHIMONOV M 2 2
    SHIMONOV M 2 2
  • PLACES

    36. The Rusty Rock
    Ampefy, Madagascar
    Situated in a volcanic area, the town of Ampefy is known for its geysers. The rusty orange colour comes from iron that has been oxidized, in part, by thermophiles (microorganisms that thrive in extremely hot environments).
    Fabrice Rasoamiaramanana

    RASOAMIARAMANANA F 2 1 RASOAMIARAMANANA F 2 1
    RASOAMIARAMANANA F 2 1
  • PLACES

    37. Walk and Talk
    Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
    A man multitasks along the road into Pushkar, a small town 13 kilometres outside the noisy city of Ajmer situated where five rivers meet among the foothills.
    Amish Patel

    PATEL A 2 4 PATEL A 2 4
    PATEL A 2 4
  • PLACES

    38. The Royal Tomb
    Adiyaman, Turkey
    Light from the morning's sunrise falls over Mount Nemrut, a UNESCO World Heritage Site preserving a royal tomb flanked by statues of kings and gods.
    Ferit Onurlu

    ONURLU FS 2 4 ONURLU FS 2 4
    ONURLU FS 2 4
  • PLACES

    39. Under the Wings
    Istanbul, Turkey
    Seagulls fly over Istanbul's cityscape. A ferry, the Hagia Sophia museum and the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (or the "Blue Mosque" as it's popularly known) may be seen in the distance.
    Ferit Onurlu

    ONURLU FS 2 1 ONURLU FS 2 1
    ONURLU FS 2 1
  • PLACES

    40. Elephant Hills
    Amboseli, Kenya
    Elephants stir up a storm of dust as the sun sets in Amboseli National Park.
    Nicholas Mitchell

    MITCHELL ND 2 2 MITCHELL ND 2 2
    MITCHELL ND 2 2
  • PLACES

    41. Sand "Waterfall"
    Page, Arizona, United States
    Sand cascades off the side of a rock ledge in Antelope Canyon. Lots of sand collects in this 400-metre-long slot canyon, famous with tourists and photographers alike.
    Patrick McNeill

    MCNEILL P 2 2 MCNEILL P 2 2
    MCNEILL P 2 2
  • PLACES

    42. Laundry Day
    Jodhpur,India
    There's never a shortage of colour of India. I spotted this pretty scene from a rooftop restaurant across the street.
    Kris McKinnon

    MCKINNON KA 2 3 MCKINNON KA 2 3
    MCKINNON KA 2 3
  • PLACES

    43. Walking Toward the Void
    Sapa, Vietnam
    In the suburbs, outside the bustling, tourist centre of Sapa, a man walks off the beaten path and into the void.
    Martin Martel

    MARTEL MM 2 3 MARTEL MM 2 3
    MARTEL MM 2 3
  • PLACES

    44. Prayer
    Kathmandu, Nepal
    A Hindu worshipper prays to Lord Shiva at Pashupatinath Temple in the Himalayas, where the deity is believed by many to reside.
    Adnan Hossain Khan

    KHAN AH 2 2 KHAN AH 2 2
    KHAN AH 2 2
  • PLACES

    45. Walking Among the Gods
    Kolkata, India
    A Sikh priest walks by some graffiti painted on corrugated sheet metal with images from the local culture, including Hindu deities.
    Sourav Karmakar

    Karmakar S 2 3 Karmakar S 2 3
    Karmakar S 2 3
  • PLACES

    46. Thamel Races By
    Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal
    Riding in the back of a rickshaw through the area of Thamel in Kathmandu, an area known for its restaurants, bars, shops, nightlife and an abundance of backpackers.
    Jeremy Fokkens

    FOKKENS JF 2 4 FOKKENS JF 2 4
    FOKKENS JF 2 4
  • PLACES

    47. Ice Castle
    Lake Louise, Alberta
    Misty sunlight on Lake Louise's ice castle, built on the frozen lake every year for the town's Ice Magic Festival.
    Susanna Doma

    DOMA S 2 1 DOMA S 2 1
    DOMA S 2 1
  • PLACES

    48. Sunrise Stroll
    Walakitang, Nicaragua
    A young man walks across the pasture with a machete over his shoulder in the village of Walakitang along the Rio Coco. This shot was taken during one of the stops on our Kindess in Action dental brigade to the BOSAWAS biosphere in Nicaragua.
    Julian D. Buchwald

    BUCHWALD JD 2 1 CMYK BUCHWALD JD 2 1 CMYK
    BUCHWALD JD 2 1 CMYK
  • PLACES

    49. Above the Clouds
    Schilthorn Mountain, Switzerland
    One of the gondola points before the 2,970-metre summit of Schilthorn Mountain.
    Heather Brunton

    BRUNTON HJS 2 3 BRUNTON HJS 2 3
    BRUNTON HJS 2 3
  • PLACES

    50. Nightime in Bruges
    Bruges, Belgium
    The Belfry Tower lights up the cityscape of Bruges during a nightime walking tour of the city.
    Heather Brunton

    BRUNTON HJS 2 1 BRUNTON HJS 2 1
    BRUNTON HJS 2 1
PROJECTS & ISSUES

1. Doctors Who Don't Give Up
Sabalebougou District, Bamako, Mali
Despite insufficient funds, women's health in the communities served by CSCOMs (Centres de Santé Communautaire au Mali) continues to improve thanks to determined doctors like the one pictured here.
Laëtitia Boudaud

PROJECTS & ISSUES

2. Stare
San Blas Islands, Kuna Yala, Panama
A Kuna woman selling molas (blouses) to tourists on the San Blas Islands. Tourism brings a few new problems to the self-governed indigenous community of 45 000, including an influx of garbage and a strain on the natural resources and environment.
Steve Mckay

PROJECTS & ISSUES

3. Barracuda
Utila, The Bay Islands, Honduras
With increasing tourism, the Utilian waters are being over-fished to satisfy the demand for seafood in restaurants. When the coral reef is being over-fished, it begins to die. This reef is currently the top attraction for tourists coming to the island, as well as the industry that provides most of the local employment. Laws defining catching seasons and bans have been difficult to implemenet and enforce, often inhabiting a grey area with the fishing communities.
Maja Zonjic

PROJECTS & ISSUES

4. Children of the Holy City
Varanasi, India
The Learn for Life charity, an NGO working to provide education and medical assistance to those who can't afford it, sits in the middle of the city of Varanasi, one of India's oldest and holiest cities. During a snack break in one of the classrooms, two boys look out from the small enclosed room. These kids are like students in any school, hopeful that one day they can achieve their childhood dreams - though they may face more obstacles than others.
Jessica Yu

PROJECTS & ISSUES

5. A Murky Foundation
Camponado, Utila, The Bay Islands, Honduras
The island of Utila is a diving hotspot for tourists, though you would never guess it if you stepped into Camponado, its poorest neighbourhood. To build houses for Spanish immigrants after the tourist boom, mangrove trees were cut down and houses were built over swampland filled with rocks and, eventually, garbage and sewage that has nowhere else to go. The area has become an ideal breeding ground for numerous diseases, and some researchers anticipate devasting consequences to the area within the next 10 years.
Maja Zonjic

PROJECTS & ISSUES

6. Nohayquiensepa ("Nobody Knows")
Aluna Theatre, Toronto, Canada
This multimedia production is inspired by documented ignominious activities of Canadian mining conglomerates in Central and South America. It depicts the fragility of life in places like the Columbian town of Puerto Berrio where human rights are eclipsed by corporate fiscal objectives. Initiatives by foreign investors have spurred conflict between rural (often indigenous) landowners, the government and the paramilitary, while also generating adverse socio-economic changes and contaminating the natural resources of many rural communities. Pictured: Victoria Mata, dancer and choreographer.
Lola Reid Allin

PROJECTS & ISSUES

7. Recycling Run
Jaipur, India
A boy on a bike saddled with bottles for recycling navigates the chaotic traffic in Jaipur. With limited recycling infrastructure, Jaipur relies largely on young boys who sift through garbage on the streets to take care of recycling. The boys return the plastic to a plant for a small refund.
Mark Pedrosa

PROJECTS & ISSUES

8. The Displaced People
Darjeeling, India
An elderly woman in a Tibetan refugee camp in Darjeeling knits lamb wool caps to be sold in a Tibetan store. My visit to the camp had a profound impact on me, particularly because of the older individuals. They smiled at me and greeted me with "tashi deleh", but there was an underlying sadness in their faces. Memories of fleeing from their home to this northeastern Indian state were still fresh - a feeling later confirmed when one of them said, "Tibet will be always in my heart, 'til I die."
Sunitha Palaveettil

PROJECTS & ISSUES

9. Waiting
Chabin, Haiti
At this mobile health clinic, the waiting room is often flooded with children from neighbouring villages who are unable to attend school due to financial difficulties. Many families choose to send just one child to school for their family, typically the oldest male. At this mobile clinic, the waiting room was often flooded with children from neighbouring villages who, like Nixon, are unable to attend school.
Elisabeth Lymburner

PROJECTS & ISSUES

10. City Slicker
Afar, Ethiopia
A researcher (far left) with a large east-African health NGO, AMREF, tries to come up with socio-economic categories for a survey he is planning. Statistics are hard to create when income is measured in goats, cows and camels. These local men also didn’t want to discuss individual property or wealth.
Neil Lensink

PROJECTS & ISSUES

11. It's All Right in the End
Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh, India
A doctor inoculates a village child at Sadguru Netra Chikitsalaya (SNC), a 350-bed charity eye hospital and medical institution serving a population of approximately 25 million. In 2005, when this image was taken, the hospital increased its numbers of sight-restoring eye surgeries from 23, 000 to 45, 000 cases. This photograph shows one of hundreds of visits by medical teams to the villages around the hospital's location in Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh. Seva Canada, an international eyecare charity founded in 1982 and based in Vancouver, BC, supports the ophthalmological programmes at SNC.
Brian Harris

PROJECTS & ISSUES

12. Elephant Greetings
Elephant Nature Park, Thailand
A rescued elephant meets its new family for the first time. The introduction can last for hours and is filled with noise and trumpeting from the elephants as they "feel" each other's trunks and facial features to get to know one another.
Allison Gagnon

PROJECTS & ISSUES

13. Lending a Hand
Pashupatinath, Kathmandu, Nepal
A volunteer helps to bathe an elderly Nepali man in this ashram in Pashupatinath. He lives here with 20 other individuals because their families have abandoned them, being unable to support them financially or because they are a burden/disgrace to the family. Local and international volunteers come to help with the daily chores and other tasks involved in caring for this group of people.
Jeremy Fokkens

PROJECTS & ISSUES

14. Work
Surkhet, Nepal
An 11-year-old Nepali girl works in the brickyards of Surkhet, Nepal. Her day starts at 6 a.m. alongside many children her own age, in conditions where the heat often exceeds 40 degrees Celcius. She works 14-hour days, six to seven days a week.
Jeremy Fokkens

PROJECTS & ISSUES

15. Digging for Water
Ireli, Dogon Country, Mali
In a hand-dug well along the Bandiagara Escarpment, where water is scarce, a young excavator waits for his teammates to carry soil and rock to the surface. Once they break through the water table to reach the groundwater below, the villagers will have a water source closer to their homes, though they will still have to hand-bail the water.
Robert Du Broy

PEOPLE

16. The Llama's Execution
Altiplano, Bolivia
In the Altiplano of Bolivia, llamas' executions are practiced in the local native culture to thank Pachamama, or Mother Earth.
Stéphanie Perron

PEOPLE

17. The Blind Beggar
Kolkata, India
A blind woman with her child begs on the street following prayers for Eid-ul-Adha, a Muslim holiday.
Angshuman Paul

PEOPLE

18. Fortune Teller
Hue, Vietnam
This 75-year-old lady sits on the Japanese bridge outside of Hue and tells tourists their fortunes for a small fee.
Steve Mckay

PEOPLE

19. A Morning Flame
Varanasi, India
Two Indian men in the River Ganges going through their morning routine.
Beata Labikova

PEOPLE

20. Holi Bath
Gangasagar, India
A woman bathes in Gangasagar along the Bay of Bengal after celebrating Holi, the Hindu festival of colours.
Shibaji Kundu

PEOPLE

21. Charmed
Vinyaka, India
This married woman was watching me taking photos of children in her village. I motioned to take an image of her and she began to smile but modestly pulled her headcover to hide her face. I just managed to capture the sparkle and smile in her eye.
Dan Kirchner

PEOPLE

22. Inhale
Kolkata, India
A Sikh priest smokes charas (a hand-made, hashish form of cannibis) through a chillum, a traditional pipe usually made of clay.
Sourav Karmakar

PEOPLE

23. Let's Play Holi
Kolkata, India
A family welcomes spring during Holi, the Hindu festival of colours, celebrated by lighting bonfires and covering each other in coloured powder and water.
Sourav Karmakar

PEOPLE

24. Worshipper
Kolkata, India
A worshipper during the Hindu folk festival of Charak Puja. The celebrations are held after a month of fasting to satisfy Lord Shiva and involve being made up to represent Hindu dieties and other rituals.
Fakrul Islam

PEOPLE

25. Silent Worker
Sylhet, Bangladesh
This woman works in one of Bangladesh's largest stoneyards. In order to support her family, she spends every day moving stones and bricks from the yard into cargo holds alongside men who have traditionally done this kind of hard labour.
Fakrul Islam

PEOPLE

26. Daily Life
Assam, India
A young girl brings water for her family through the hills in India's Assam province.
Fakrul Islam

PEOPLE

27. Old Bicycle
Serdang Bedagai, Indonesia
A plantation worker collects oil palm fruits using his bike in the Serdang Bedagai district of northern Sumatra.
Y.T. Haryono

PEOPLE

28. The Village Poet
Gorkha, Nepal
This man greeted us at one of the local meeting spots in the village of Ludidamgade, where he mentioned his profession as the local poet. We were there as part of Uniterra's International Seminar programme, a joint project between World University Service of Canada and the Centre for International Studies and Cooperation, researching Community Based Forest Enterprises (CBFEs) like the production of biodegradable plates made from leaves.
Jennifer Goemans

PEOPLE

29. Left Behind
Kathmandu, Nepal
An elderly Nepali man is bathed by a volunteer at an ashram along the Bagmati River in Pashupatinath. Families bring their elderly relatives here when they can no longer care for them because of their age or disabilities.
Jeremy Fokkens

PEOPLE

30. Pilgrim
Kolkata, India
A pilgrim on the banks of the Ganges River, celebrating the dark night of Ambasaya (the new moon) leading up to the Hindu festival, Durga Puja. The festival is devoted to the Mother Durga and is celebrated throughout India in the autumn with 10 days of festivities.
Ashis Banerjee

PEOPLE

31. Tea Maker
Dewas, India 
A Rajasthani tea maker ladles some chai. 
Mukesh Dewatwal

PEOPLE

32. After a Hard Day's Work
Marikina,Philippines
Farmers bathe their carabaos (domesticated water buffalos) in the river after a hard day's work in the fields.
Arturo De Vera Jr.

PLACES

33. Good Luck
Huashan, Shaanxi, China
Padlocks are permanently fastened to a chain-link fence at one of the highest peaks of Huashan. These padlocks are sold to hikers who wish to fasten them at the top of the mountain to give good luck to their ancestors, bringing the good luck as close to heaven as possible.
Justin Tupper

PLACES

34. Run, Llama, Run
Altiplano, Bolivia
Early in the morning on a fall day, a llama runs by Laguna Colorado ("Red Lagoon"), a shallow sea salt lake frequented by flamingoes in the southern Bolivian desert.
Greg John Snell

PLACES

35. Surfing the Outback
Hyden, Australia
Wave Rock is a natural rock formation that is shaped like a tall, breaking ocean wave - hence its name.
Mirelle Shimonov

PLACES

36. The Rusty Rock
Ampefy, Madagascar
Situated in a volcanic area, the town of Ampefy is known for its geysers. The rusty orange colour comes from iron that has been oxidized, in part, by thermophiles (microorganisms that thrive in extremely hot environments).
Fabrice Rasoamiaramanana

PLACES

37. Walk and Talk
Pushkar, Rajasthan, India
A man multitasks along the road into Pushkar, a small town 13 kilometres outside the noisy city of Ajmer situated where five rivers meet among the foothills.
Amish Patel

PLACES

38. The Royal Tomb
Adiyaman, Turkey
Light from the morning's sunrise falls over Mount Nemrut, a UNESCO World Heritage Site preserving a royal tomb flanked by statues of kings and gods.
Ferit Onurlu

PLACES

39. Under the Wings
Istanbul, Turkey
Seagulls fly over Istanbul's cityscape. A ferry, the Hagia Sophia museum and the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (or the "Blue Mosque" as it's popularly known) may be seen in the distance.
Ferit Onurlu

PLACES

40. Elephant Hills
Amboseli, Kenya
Elephants stir up a storm of dust as the sun sets in Amboseli National Park.
Nicholas Mitchell

PLACES

41. Sand "Waterfall"
Page, Arizona, United States
Sand cascades off the side of a rock ledge in Antelope Canyon. Lots of sand collects in this 400-metre-long slot canyon, famous with tourists and photographers alike.
Patrick McNeill

PLACES

42. Laundry Day
Jodhpur,India
There's never a shortage of colour of India. I spotted this pretty scene from a rooftop restaurant across the street.
Kris McKinnon

PLACES

43. Walking Toward the Void
Sapa, Vietnam
In the suburbs, outside the bustling, tourist centre of Sapa, a man walks off the beaten path and into the void.
Martin Martel

PLACES

44. Prayer
Kathmandu, Nepal
A Hindu worshipper prays to Lord Shiva at Pashupatinath Temple in the Himalayas, where the deity is believed by many to reside.
Adnan Hossain Khan

PLACES

45. Walking Among the Gods
Kolkata, India
A Sikh priest walks by some graffiti painted on corrugated sheet metal with images from the local culture, including Hindu deities.
Sourav Karmakar

PLACES

46. Thamel Races By
Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal
Riding in the back of a rickshaw through the area of Thamel in Kathmandu, an area known for its restaurants, bars, shops, nightlife and an abundance of backpackers.
Jeremy Fokkens

PLACES

47. Ice Castle
Lake Louise, Alberta
Misty sunlight on Lake Louise's ice castle, built on the frozen lake every year for the town's Ice Magic Festival.
Susanna Doma

PLACES

48. Sunrise Stroll
Walakitang, Nicaragua
A young man walks across the pasture with a machete over his shoulder in the village of Walakitang along the Rio Coco. This shot was taken during one of the stops on our Kindess in Action dental brigade to the BOSAWAS biosphere in Nicaragua.
Julian D. Buchwald

PLACES

49. Above the Clouds
Schilthorn Mountain, Switzerland
One of the gondola points before the 2,970-metre summit of Schilthorn Mountain.
Heather Brunton

PLACES

50. Nightime in Bruges
Bruges, Belgium
The Belfry Tower lights up the cityscape of Bruges during a nightime walking tour of the city.
Heather Brunton

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