Glimpse - Your Stories from Abroad

Runner-up
[Uttar Pradesh, India] – Shivani, a student at a recently opened vocational school for girls, helps her mother with chores around their one-room home on a Sunday morning. Shivani's family lives in the impoverished Anoopshahr sub-district of Uttar Pradesh State in India, where poverty and tradition often prohibit girls from finishing school. Shivani's mother never completed grade school, but on this morning, over chai, she speaks with great pride about her daughter's new prospects. Shivani plans to finish school and go to university; if she does, she will be the first in her family.

Photo by Alex Stonehill

Runner-up
[Siem Reap, Cambodia] – A family makes its way among the hundreds of floating houses on Tonle Sap. The entire village moves back and forth by several kilometers every year as the lake rises and falls with the seasons. This particular father has just picked up his children from school and is heading back home for the evening. The father paddles in back, relying on his daughter to guide the craft home.
Family structure in Cambodia is almost universally in disarray. Almost every family lost a loved one during the tyranny of the Khmer Rouge, and they must still fear the plague of landmines, as most of the country has not yet been de-mined. Ironically, living on a lake might keep this family safer than living on land, despite the risk of drowning.

Photo by Scott Edwards

Runner-up
[Nairobi, Kenya] – During the early morning hours, in the heart of a Nairobi slum, siblings glance down at their tiny brother in the schoolyard of the Ayany Primary School. Most families survive on the profits from tiny businesses, selling fruit on the roadsides or roasted corn in the kiosks of urban slums. Many children have little concept of “nuclear” family and are taken care of by the entire village—as most of the middle-aged population has died or is very ill due to the ravaging effects of AIDS. But all is not gloomy in the sprawling slum. The school has kind and dedicated teachers; in this photograph, a boy looks down at his breakfast, which the head of the school himself provided and paid for out of his own pocket. These kids walk nine miles a day to reach the school, and they are thankful for the opportunity to attend school at all.

Photo by Julia Tapper

Runner-up
[Siem Reap, Cambodia] – In Cambodia, the fragility of life is never taken for granted. Thousands of UXO (unexploded ordinances) litter the fields, roads and villages, buried underneath thin layers of soil. Their explosions have maimed almost one in three Cambodians. These remnants of history tear families apart, leaving homes without mothers to care for children and without fathers to provide for the family. This young girl is holding her brother, a common sight in Siem Reap, where daily explosions force children to take on parental roles, robbing them of their childhoods and yet demonstrating just how important family is. Under the direst of circumstances, relatives pick up the pieces, fill in the gaps and begin life anew.

Photo by Danielle Staymates

Runner-up
[Antofagasta, Chile] – During the festivities of “La Patria,” Chileans in Antofagasta celebrate their independence. During La Patria, the country comes to a standstill as Chileans don traditional garb, dance the cueca (the national dance) and fly the country's flag. Schools encourage children to wear traditional dress, and hold cueca contests for both students and parents. I lived with the two boys in white, who are brothers, ages 9 and 11, and are wearing the more formal version of traditional Chilean dress. The boy on the left, 11 years old, wears the traditional dress of huasos (rural-dwellers). The high level of patriotism in Chile is paralleled by a strong sense of family; sometimes, three or more generations live in one home.

Photo by Justin Cox

Runner-up
[Jaipur, India] – My host father, a leader in his Rajput clan, held this wedding party for his nephew. The women pictured here sport colorful clothing that is unique to Rajasthan. They are about to start a ritualistic dance to bless the marriage, and have tied bells to their ankles to be used as noisemakers, as is done in other traditional Indian dances. All members of the family participate in some way—there is little one can do to get out of the obligation of going to an Indian wedding.

Photo by Susan Reynolds

Runner-up
[Dzodze, Ghana] – The Dzodze village family parades behind its chief toward the village center, where a festival and fundraiser will take place. In Dzodze, a rural area of Ghana, the children of one family are regarded as the children of the entire village. Family is an extremely important institution in Ghana, and unlike in the United States, children continue living with their families much longer, helping to support them. The Ghanaians in this photograph are wearing traditional clothing, which is considered appropriate dress for attending and participating in festivals. The older men carry staffs, a symbol of their age and wisdom.

Photo by Giselle Aris

Runner-up
[Waya Lailai, Fiji] – In traditional Fijian culture, the men gather food and the women cook. It is at this time, right before dinner, when the men can relax and the kids can play. The typical Fijian family boasts six to eight members who live in close quarters—often under a thatched roof with walls of sheet metal. Each member must contribute in his or her own way, and it is during dinner that they can all join together in laughter and chit-chat and enjoy the company of their loved ones.

Photo by Ryan Evans

Runner-up
[Lisbon, Portugal] – Dogs are family too, especially when they help pay for dinner. This street performer and his dog work together on the sidewalks of Lisbon, Portugal. Traditionally, Portuguese culture has dictated distinct roles for each family member, but today these roles are blurring as women challenge cultural norms and children are becoming more independent. Yet extended family ties remain strong, and most children still do not leave home until they marry and start families of their own.

Photo by Chantell Hemmens

Runner-up
[Bagan, Myanmar] – Living in constant fear of the military regime, the people of Myanmar depend on their families for support. This 30-year-old woman carries her two sons in baskets that are typically used to transport food and water. Many women in Myanmar work in the fields during the day but are responsible for taking care of their children as well. This woman is trying to earn some extra money on the side, holding out her hand to anyone who photographs her and her children in hopes of a dollar, the average daily income in Myanmar.

Photo by Molly Gazin

Runner-up
[Thab Thai Village, Thailand] Over half of Thailand’s population self-identifies as farmers. After the harvest, farmers often migrate to Bangkok or other cities to find supplemental income. Children often stay in the countryside and are cared for by their grandparents. However, switching to organic, sustainable agriculture has allowed many families to remain together year-round, such as the Onsri family picture here. Kanya and her husband, Soontorn, have two children and live with six other immediate family members. Kanya explains, “In the past, after rice harvesting, we all went straight to Bangkok to work. I lived in a dorm and slaughtered chickens. Now we spend more time in the fields. I think organic agriculture is a good alternative to keep families in the community.”

Photo by Carolyn Barnwell