The year 2024 in photos and the stories behind them

While there were moments of celebration this year, the world also witnessed periods of wars and suffering, with one and a half billion people living in fragile contexts. Conflicts like Ukraine and Gaza dominated the world headlines in 2024, while forgotten conflicts in places like Myanmar, Ethiopia, and Kenya also continued to impact millions of people around the world.

With your support, VSO volunteers worked in neglected, conflict-affected regions, including on the Kenya-Ethiopia border, to ensure that no one was left behind. This border region is mired by disputes, including tensions over access to water and grazing land for cattle, exacerbated by extreme weather events, including persistent droughts and floods. 

But VSO volunteers are helping to promote social cohesion by bringing communities together to find pathways to lasting peace.

The photographer, Paul Wambugu

Kenyan photographer Paul Wambugu visited this border region with VSO in March 2024. Paul’s work focuses on impactful storytelling through feature films, documentaries, and photography, often highlighting social issues, livelihoods and inspiring change.

VSO/Paul Wambugu

He collaborates with international organisations like VSO to capture powerful moments that connect people to important causes.  

“My approach emphasises authentic visuals and human connection, aiming to give a voice to untold stories. I believe photography is a tool to inspire, inform, and transform perceptions globally. In today's fast-paced world, a single photograph can convey a thousand words, capturing the essence of a moment in an instant," Paul tells us.  

One of Paul’s favourite photos from VSO’s peacebuilding work is of a lady called Gubalo. Gubalo is a grandmother and mother to a son who is battling with cancer.

Unfortunately, she is unable to afford her son’s hospital treatments, and all her animals died owing to a prolonged drought. Paul had the opportunity to meet Gubalo in her home, which had a partially destroyed roof owing to extreme weather. 

“This image stands out to me as a symbol of resilience. Despite facing the harsh realities of severe climate change and losing all her animals to drought, Gubalo, in her early 70s, still manages to offer a bright smile, holding onto hope for a world better than she has ever known,” says Paul. 

With your support, Gubalo has received two goats from VSO, which will help to ease her stress. Goats have a shorter gestation period than other forms of livestock, which means that in a year, they can give birth twice and so can multiply at a quicker rate. The goats will provide Gubalo with meat and milk so she can sustain herself and her family.  

Kenya: Ensuring futures aren’t thrown away

Every day, inspiring and enterprising waste pickers on Kenya’s largest dumpsites do an essential job of cleaning up their environment by tidying and recycling huge piles of rubbish. They do this while earning an income so they can support themselves and their families. However, the nature of their work makes them more prone to danger, abuse and exploitation.  

Many of the waste pickers live in slums like Kibera and Dandora with no access to clean water or electricity. Crime is also prevalent as there is a lack of economic opportunities in this area and youth unemployment is high. Many women experience sexual assault and incidents of human trafficking have occurred. 

Previously, waste pickers also didn’t have access to personal protective equipment, which meant they were more susceptible to catching diseases, infections and cuts. 

As part of his trip, Paul also had the opportunity to meet some of the waste pickers VSO supports and friendships with some of the community members have since blossomed. One account that really stuck with him is Kevin’s. 

“I met Kevin earlier this year, and he's since become a good friend. I find the story behind these photos very powerful. Kevin once told me he chose the 'low life' of being a waste picker over the flashy 'thug life' that many of the youths in his neighbourhood pursue. This stuck with me and really gave me a deeper understanding of who Kevin is as a person,” Paul says.  

Kevin is the leader of a waste picking group and thanks to VSO volunteers, he received training in life skills. This has helped him and his waste picking group a lot with making decisions.

Kevin also went through group formation and strengthening training, as well as financial literacy training, where he was taught how to track finances and how to keep records. VSO also provided Kevin with personal protective equipment.

Overall, Kevin and his group’s mentality has changed; they now see waste as a resource.

Philippines: Helping communities cope with the climate crisis 

With an average of 20 typhoons a year, rising sea levels and ocean acidification, the Philippines is often cited as one of the countries most at risk from the climate crisis. In fact, the World Risk Index 2022 put the Philippines at the number one spot for the most-disaster-prone country in the world.¹ 

Many of the communities in the Philippines rely heavily on fishing for their livelihood and daily sustenance. However, with weather getting more extreme, this is having a devastating impact on coral reefs, an essential source of food for fish.  

However, an underrated mangled climate change superhero is helping communities better weather the climate crisis.

Mangroves help reduce flooding and provide a habitat for fish and other flora and fauna. The mangroves also help to protect the ecotourism site from destruction.

As custodians of their 12-hectare mangrove patch, Grace, Marlon and Maria* make sure the mangroves are thriving, tending to them as needed, as well as planting new mangrove saplings when required.

Meanwhile, long-standing volunteer Jovenica has been empowering women like Amacorita. She is helping them diversify their income streams through the training she delivers on biofertiliser.

In fact, the two women have become firm friends. Jovenica brings women like Amacorita together to concoct organic biofertiliser made from molasses, fish waste, water, and shredded plant waste. This is then sold for a profit. 

Nepal: Preventing and responding to gender-based violence 

In Nepal, more than one in four women experience gender-based violence in their lifetime. Many girls are also forced to drop out of school owing to their gender. Without education or their own money, they’re more vulnerable to domestic violence. Often, they also don’t know what their rights are or where they can turn for help.  

However, thanks to your support, VSO volunteers are helping to change this narrative.  

The photographer, Suraj Ratna Shakya 

Himself from Nepal, Suraj had the opportunity to see VSO’s work in gender-based violence. Suraj is a storyteller capturing impactful narratives through photography and videography across Nepal and beyond.

A self-taught freelance visual artist with more than 12 years experience, he collaborates with humanitarian organisations, mentors emerging photographers, and conducts workshops. Here he passionately showcases positive change and inspiring others through his work and collective initiatives. 

“I chose to become a photographer because of my love for discovering and sharing stories. Growing up in Nepal, much remained unspoken about the people and places around me. Working with humanitarian organisations has allowed me to document stories of resilience and share them with a broader audience, inspiring empathy and understanding,” Suraj explains. 

“I was inspired by the impact of intervention by VSO in the lives of this couple. I saw first-hand how a small change in behaviour of an individual leads to a better life and family,” Suraj says. 

Suraj met Puja*, Laxman*, and their two children in their home. Before, Suraj and Puja use to fight a lot and Laxman thought that household chores were just a woman’s responsibilities. Laxman would never go in the kitchen. 

Puja and her husband had participated in a transformative 10-day couples’ session. This experience had a profound impact on their relationship dynamics. Following their experience, Laxman underwent a personal revelation, recognising his equal responsibility in household chores.

As a result, he wholeheartedly began assisting Puja and actively sharing the responsibilities of their children. Laxman now cooks and cleans the house when his wife is at work.

This newfound awareness and commitment have brought about positive changes in their daily lives, fostering a more balanced and harmonious partnership. 

Suraj was also impressed by the dedication and kindness of volunteers like Sumitra, who facilitate couples’ sessions and support peer educators.

“I really like this photo as it was a candid moment. The little girl was trying to drink water but was having a bit of a struggle with the tap; seeing that, the volunteer went to help. It was such a genuine moment that I thought it summed up the whole idea of volunteering and giving,” Suraj explains. 

Malawi: Leaving no child behind in the classroom 

In Malawi, 88% of children enrol in primary school, but only 33% complete the vital first stage of their education.²

Although enrolling a child in school has been free since 1994, families still need to cover the costs of shoes, uniforms, and school stationery.

Many families are unable to do so and as a result, children are forced to drop out of school, not knowing how to read, write or count. For those that can attend school, there are often 200 children in a classroom to one teacher which makes it very difficult for them to learn. 

In Alinafe’s* classroom there are hundreds of other children, and they have no choice but to sit on the floor. According to Alinafe’s mother, before the tablets came to her school, she struggled a lot with reading and she couldn’t count from one to ten.  

However, Alinafe received an educational tablet from VSO which is charged using solar energy and comes fully loaded with learning activities so children can learn everything from spelling to adding.  

Now that Alinafe is using the tablets and attending the learning centre, she’s able to read, write, count to 100 and do maths. She now wakes up feeling excited about going to school. 

A heartfelt thanks to all our volunteers and supporters all around the world for making 2024 such a great year! You can help VSO to continue it's life-changing work in 2025 by making a donation.