Girls Strength Beyond Circumstance: Through the lens of seven female humanitarian photographers
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To celebrate International Day of the Girl Child, Kiwi aid and development organisation Tearfund asked female humanitarian photographers from New Zealand and around the world to share empowering photos and stories that illustrate the strength and resilience of girls in the face of adversity.
From a girl trafficked into a karaoke bar in Thailand to girls in Myanmar and Iraq forced to flee their homes to escape violence—all have faced enormous challenges. Each story highlights the difficult circumstances these girls have endured and shows the unique strength they possess to overcome them.
Nice* from Thailand pictured in this silhouette is a survivor of human trafficking. Shot for LIFT International/Nikki Denholm.
“If I got the chance to tell the world what I wanted to say, I'd say, don't look down on me or see me as an unworthy child—I want you to know I am just like a normal child who needs care and understanding from you," says Nice.*
These words come from a girl who was trafficked into a karaoke bar in Thailand when she was 15 years old.
Nice was one of five girls removed from harm with the assistance of Tearfund's partner, LIFT International. As a result, two offenders were convicted to 35 years in prison after being found guilty of prostitution and child trafficking sexual offences. The survivors were placed in the care of child welfare protection shelters to ensure their safety and recovery from trauma. Nice was the group's youngest survivor.
Nice has recently graduated from high school and is now pursuing a degree in Educational Psychology at university. Her goal is to inspire other girls with her journey and help them to build bright futures.
Like Nice, women and girls are most likely to experience Modern Slavery—it affects 1 in 150 people across the globe.
*Name changed for protection.
Nikki Denholm from New Zealand has documented the experiences of human trafficking survivors and the organisations supporting them in Nepal, India, Thailand, the Philippines, and Cambodia through photography and storytelling.
Diloshini, 18, holds her cricket bat confidently, despite the challenges she’s faced. She is becoming a sportswoman in Sri Lanka. Shot for Compassion International/ Odessa B.
Diloshini is a confident strong-minded young girl who loves sports, especially cricket.
“If we think boys can do anything, then girls can do everything too—this is the confidence I have,” says Diloshini.
Diloshini comes from a community in the central province of Sri Lanka. Her family of six live in a beautiful area surrounded by lush greenery with tea bushes, mountains, and a dam in the centre.
Convincing her mother to play sports in school was okay, but convincing her father was not so easy. “After I convinced my father many times to let me have this opportunity, the Compassion Centre supported me,” she says.
Diloshini joined the Compassion child sponsorship programme when she was three years old. She says the programme allowed her to dream and discover her abilities. She says with this encouragement, she can help develop the next generation of sportswomen.
Not many girls from Diloshini’s area play cricket, so when she goes to tournaments, she feels people look down on her for being a girl.
But this hasn’t stopped her from dreaming of becoming a national cricket player, representing Sri Lanka. She believes with all her heart she can achieve this.
Odessa B. is a photojournalist living in Sri Lanka—she loves documenting children and families interacting with each other and their communities.
Modena and her youngest of eight daughters share a tender moment amidst the hustle and bustle of the world’s largest refugee camp. Shot for Tearfund NZ/Helen Manson.
Modena is a mother to eight daughters. Her husband and brother were murdered in front of her, and her house was burnt down. As a result, she fled from Myanmar to Bangladesh with the girls, staying eight days in the forest and five days on a boat.
Her vision for their future is to have the privilege of celebrating, smiling again, and earning enough money to buy vegetables, fish or beef to eat at the Eid religious festival. Here she is pictured with her youngest, Mohaismin, six years old. Their loving, tender embrace is a moment of intimacy amidst a bustling Rohingya refugee camp swirling with a million people.
Tearfund's partner provided medical care and vocational training, which kept Modena's family healthy and gave Modena skills to provide for her girls.
Helen Manson is a humanitarian photographer and storyteller from New Zealand. She loves bringing to living colour, remarkable stories of resilience and hope in some of our world’s most challenging places.
Mariana, 17, faced educational challenges, and now dreams of becoming a doctor. Shot for Compassion International/Sara Navarro.
The number of girls dropping out of school in Brazil increased dramatically during the pandemic. Despite progress in recent years, the Covid-19 left its mark and access to education remains a challenge for thousands of girls in Brazil.
Mariana lives in a rural area, far from schools and hospitals. To go to school, she wakes up before the crack of dawn and walks 15 minutes to the bus stop. Despite the challenges, she believes that dedication to her studies will change her future and that of her family.
“I realised that if I really want a good future and to fulfil my dreams, I need to work hard. My dream is to become a doctor when I grow up. I decided to become a doctor because when my parents get sick, I can take care of them. Where we live, there is no hospital nearby, so we need to travel two or three hours to see a doctor,” says Mariana.
“I also want to be able to provide a better life for my family,” she says.
Sara Navarro is photojournalist based in Brazil. She loves telling powerful stories about everyday people that show how the world is full of inspiring people.
Nine-year-old Leyla is pictured here with her mother in Iraq after fleeing violence from ISIS. Shot for Tutapona/Candice Lassey Kanyinda
After ISIS invaded her village, Leyla’s* father went missing. Scared of losing Leyla to ISIS kidnappers, her mother bundled her up and smuggled her out of Iraq and into a neighbouring country, only to be apprehended by police and imprisoned.
After returning to Iraq, Leyla enrolled in a programme provided by Tutapona. Here, she was able to process through her grief and trauma and discover hope, resilience and that a bright future lay ahead of her.
*Name changed for protection.
Candice Lassey Kanyinda is a humanitarian photographer, living with her Congolese husband and their daughter in East Africa. She shares stories of hope to bring light to the wonderful work organisations are doing to support individuals and communities in the region.
Avegail (12) and her younger sister playing at home in the Philippines. Shot for Compassion International/Grace Ellis.
Avegail is a sponsored child from a remote coastal village in Puerto Princesa, Philippines.
“I was glad when I found out I was sponsored because I knew it would benefit the whole family. Compassion gave me school supplies, monthly food packs and hygiene kits for three years during the pandemic. After a typhoon hit in 2021, they also assisted us with repairs to our house.”
She says the biggest highlight was when she received her first birthday gift from her sponsor.
“I was able to buy a dress and wear it to church—I was very happy,” she says.
“My dream is to be a teacher because I want to help kids like me get an education.”
Avegail’s mother, Marilyn, sits smiling proudly at her during the interview.
“There’s so much hope now knowing Avegail has a future and opportunities,” says Marilyn.
Grace Ellis is a communications specialist for Kiwi aid and development agency Tearfund New Zealand. Her passion is to give to marginalized, vulnerable and forgotten a voice, to bring to life their stories to create a better world.
Janwalei (7) picking sunflowers on a sunny day in Thailand. Shot for Compassion International/ Ella Tan.
Janwalei is part of the Hmong people group in Thailand - an ethnic group whose descendants originate from China.
In her village it is common for children to drop out of school by the age of 14 and not continue further education. Most families will marry their girls off and the boys will work in agriculture.
“Since the Compassion child sponsorship programme came, we have seen a lot more children encouraged to pursue further education,” says project director Sorrapong Sae-her.
Ella Tan is a humanitarian writer and photographer interested in participatory and collaborative storytelling. She leads the team of Compassion photojournalists in Asia.