Humanitarian Stories Archives

Nyalual Mathieng holds a bowl of freshly harvested okra in her vegetable garden in Ayod, South Sudan.

Seven Days on the Water: A Mother’s Journey Through War and Floods in Ayod, South Sudan

by Crystal StaffordHumanitarian Stories October 28, 2026October 28, 2026No Comments

In the remote wetlands of Ayod, South Sudan, where war and rising waters have forced entire communities to abandon their homes, I met a woman whose extraordinary journey revealed what it truly means to survive. The Journey to Ayod Getting to Ayod, South Sudan, was an adventure in itself. I boarded a United Nations Humanitarian …

Three Pounds of Possibility

by Crystal StaffordDocumentary, Humanitarian Stories, Life, Photos October 9, 2026October 28, 2026No Comments

When You Love What You Do You will suffer any setback, go for broke, and wait for the right opportunity to come your way. This is where I am now, learning so much about myself and my willingness to make less money to do the things I love, the things that fill my heart. I …

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A Cookstove, a Home, and the Air We Breathe

by Crystal StaffordHumanitarian Stories, Photos May 15, 2026October 28, 2026Comments are Disabled

In this photo, a woman sits beside a Durable Solutions cookstove in Congo — a simple piece of household infrastructure that can have a profound impact on daily life. For many families in Congo, cooking is done over open fires or inefficient stoves, often inside small, poorly ventilated homes. The smoke from these fires fills …

Bearing Witness: Documenting Displacement and Resilience in Eastern DRC

by Crystal StaffordDocumentary, Humanitarian Stories, Landscapes, Photos February 7, 2025October 28, 2026Comments are Disabled

The humanitarian crisis unfolding in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is both staggering and deeply personal. As a documentary photographer, I’ve spent over a decade documenting the impact of projects working to provide aid during humanitarian emergencies around the world. While documenting displacement in Eastern DRC, the stories I encounter in and around Goma …

Shattered Windows, Unbroken Spirit

by Crystal StaffordDocumentary, Humanitarian Stories, Landscapes July 8, 2024October 28, 2026Comments are Disabled

Hanna Pavlovna and her husband, Oleksandr, once lived a quiet and fulfilling life with their five children in the peaceful village of Velyka Pysarivka, nestled near Ukraine’s northeastern border. Their days were filled with the rhythm of farm life—raising rabbits, planting grapes, and nurturing the land that had been in their family for generations. Life …

Finding Hope in Lozova: A Ukrainian Mother’s Journey Through War and Healing

by Crystal StaffordDocumentary, Humanitarian Stories, Landscapes May 26, 2024October 28, 2026Comments are Disabled

From Bombardment to Bravery: Alina’s Story Begins Alina and her daughters are just a few of the many women and children affected by the war in Ukraine. On February 25th, 2022—just one day after the Russian invasion of Ukraine—Alina Kravchenko’s life changed forever. Her husband enlisted to defend their country and was sent to the …

Mado

by Crystal StaffordDocumentary, Humanitarian Stories, Landscapes October 16, 2022October 28, 2026Comments are Disabled

When I first met Mado in Febraury of 2016, she was a little over two years old. She was so severely malnourished that she couldn’t walk or even stand. She sat in her mother’s lap, lethargic and still. Her arms barely larger than my thumb in diameter. We were there with a team of community …

Seven Minutes

by Crystal StaffordDocumentary, Humanitarian Stories, Landscapes, Life, Photos June 29, 2022October 28, 2026Comments are Disabled

SEVEN MINUTES I was living in a hospital in Kananga in Kasai Central Province in 2012, shortly before the start of ASSP. My church hired me to renovate the hospital, but the funding was sparse. My room was a barren, concrete box with no electricity and no running water. Hopefully I would be able to …

Bright Eyes

by Crystal StaffordDocumentary, Humanitarian Stories, Magic December 31, 2018October 28, 2026Comments are Disabled

I love photos like this, a true representation of the world right now. A healthy baby, bright-eyed and vibrant… and in this case a little confused. It is true, child mortality is high in Congo compared to most of the rest of the world. In 2016 the rate was 94 deaths per 1000 live births compared to …

The Youth is on Fire

by Crystal StaffordDocumentary, Humanitarian Stories December 30, 2018October 28, 2026Comments are Disabled

This little girl was making waves in Goma, DRC. She was a young activist for women’s rights and she had just read a poem for her classroom. The look of pride in her face when she was finished was touching. Thankfully more and more girls are finding their voice because of programs like IMA’s Ushindi, …