Past Winners of the Global Development Photo Contest

Winners of the 2024 Global Development Photo Contest

Jennifer Paterson-Marke, Learning and Evaluation Associate, Center on Early Childhood

4 children are placing items in envelopes pasted to a wall; above the envelopes in big text is "Be Kind to One Another".

Tema, Ghana

"As part of Wellness Week, teachers and pupils at Beacon College International, Ghana, encouraged acts of kindness."

Sergio Sanchez, PhD '26, Environment and Resources

2 men are pushing a boat out on a lake, with two large mountains behind them in the landscape.

El Remanso, Guainía, Colombia

"Two fishermen moving their boat upstream as the current was to strong to navigate with the motor. I was traveling with them to see their fish and see how they interact with their nearby wetland ecosystem. Behind them are the iconic Mavicure mountains."

Linda Zhang, MBA '26

Six fishermen forming a line and holding a long net on the beach, with four of them standing in the water.

Freetown, Sierra Leone

"Groups of fishermen harvest their daily catch on Lumley Beach on the coast of Sierra Leone. They have no fancy fishing equipment or tools, just a single large net and a dozen of men who employ the most basic technique in an age of modern agriculture and fishery."

Runners-Up of the 2024 Global Development Photo Contest

Tianhao Hou, PhD '29, Sociology

Santa Rosa, Yaquerana, Requena, Loreto, Peru

"As a sociologist, my curiosity about life in the world’s most remote corners led me to the Matsés, an indigenous tribe nestled deep within the Peruvian Amazon. For ten days, I lived alongside them in one of their most secluded villages, where, despite only making permanent contact with the outside world 55 years ago, they continue to safeguard their ancient traditions, even as the encroaching modern world casts its shadow. In this photo, an elderly woman works with quiet devotion, weaving local plant leaves to craft the door of the Maloca—the ancestral longhouse that has sheltered her people for generations."

Anna Vdovina, PhD '28, Economics

Reserva nacional Los Flamencos, Atacama Desert, Chile

"I was absolutely mesmerized by nature's undisturbed beauty and complete serenity, it felt like time itself stopped. It also made me feel hopeful about the relationship between humans and our planet - there may be no people in this photo but lots of work by activists, climatologists, and policymakers was done to ensure this magical place could be preserved untouched."

Agustin Villarreal, MBA '25

Lombok, Indonesia

"Local population taking advantage of the rising and lowering tide to harvest seaweed as a sustainability project"

Winners of the 2023 Global Development Photo Contest

Tracy Li, EdS '25, Graduate School of Education

Juaboso District, Western Region, Ghana

"Sisters walking to school together in the morning."

Anna Vdovina, PhD '28, Department of Economics

Kizimkazi, Zanzibar, Tanzania

"I took this photo while volunteering for an educational NGO in Zanzibar, Tanzania. These women were heading to a birthday party nearby and I thought it would be a beautiful moment to capture the mood and the sense of community."

Liza Goldberg, BS '24, Department of Earth System Science

Mangroves in Benin as seen from overhead

Cotonou, Benin

"This photograph was taken via a drone that we flew above Lake Nokoué while we traveled via motorized canoe below. This lake has thriving mangrove forests, which the local communities rely on for fish and coastal protection from storms. Here, we see an ideal example of harmony between human and natural needs."

Winners of the 2022 Global Development Photo Contest

Moogdho Mahzab, Postdoctoral Fellow, Woods Institute for the Environment

Jashore, Bangladesh

"A brick-loader in Bangladesh, working hard in a very challenging situation to earn his living. This is the typical work for brick loaders that they do for the whole season. The face enormous health hazard from their work. Also, given the demand for clay-fired bricks, there are more than million of workers working on brick kilns. The photo shows the sad truth about development - low paid labor, environmental hazards, cost-effective production method in LMICs."

Zeina Hashem, BA '25, Department of Psychology

Saqara, Giza, Egypt

"In the rural area of Saqqara in the Giza governorate, farmers live a much more calm and peaceful life than those living in the bustling city of Cairo just a 30-minute car ride away. When asked if they would rather live in the city, the farmers laughed and told us that they would much rather be surrounded by masses of greenery and clear skies than the traffic and busyness of Cairo. In the photograph, a farmer's young daughter drinks from one of many taps that provide filtered water to the large communities of farmers and their families in the area. This family in particular was incredibly kind and welcoming, offering us tea and snacks, and stories about their lives."

Anna Queiroz, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Communication

Aldeia Papagaio, Alta Floresta, MT, Brazil

"This photo shows a female middle school student from an indigenous village in Brazil wearing a VR headset. This photo was taken by Zaz Productions during a large-scale project in Brazil targeting digital inclusion and environmental awareness. The project aimed to reduce the gap between private and public schools, allow the students to engage with technology, and learn about human actions in mitigating climate change causes and consequences. A total of 12 thousand middle and high school students from low-income and indigenous communities in Brazil participated in the project. This was a collaboration between the Virtual Human Interaction Lab at Stanford and Instituto Edp in Brazil."

Winners of the 2019 Global Development Photo Contest

Andrew Hume, PhD '21, Environment and Resources

Hội An, Vietnam

"This photo was taken in July 2018 while I was in Da Nang, Vietnam for the Sixth Global Environment Facility (GEF) Assembly—a quadrennial meeting of the global community to conclude the replenishment of largest public trust fund for the environment. Together with other delegates, we took a day trip to nearby Hội An, an amazingly beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its architecture, textile shops, and cuisine.

While wandering the historic city center, I passed women selling vegetables. They could have easily been overlooked amid the thousands of people in a sprawling and very busy street market. This scene really stood out to me because of how calm and organized they seemed amongst the daily market bustle. With overtourism threatening local cultures, especially in Southeast Asia, these woman were an important reminder that even busy centers of tourism like Hội An are also critical hubs of commerce that support local communities and livelihoods too."

Sarah Fellay, JD '21

Pù Luông, Vietnam

"My grandfather was from northern Vietnam and my family makes a point of visiting whenever we get the chance. Pù Luông is a large nature reserve a few hours from Hanoi. Until recently, it was mostly a rice producing region, but has slowly been growing as an ecotourism destination. This photo was taken right outside of the homestay where we were staying. Vietnam is experiencing a tremendous rise in tourism, and it's exciting to see the sustainable ways in which families are taking part in the boom."

Paula M. Garza González, '21, Architectural Design

A little girl looking directly at the camera

Douala, Cameroon

"I was interning with the construction firm Millenium Immoblier in Douala, Cameroon through the Stanford Institute for Innovation in Developing Economies (Seed) program. I took a brief trip with my boss to the capital city of Cameroon, Yaoundé. Here, we went to the local market to buy some vegetables for dinner. While walking around, I saw this little girl that was very intrigued by me and I had to capture her expressions. It's beautiful how humans can connect with just our eyes."

Merrell Guzman, '20, Economics

A young child dressed in ceremonial clothing, amidst several other people

Somosomo, Fiji

"This photo was taken during a ten-day student group trip to Fiji when I was in high school. We spent a few days in this small village, which was only accessible by boat. I was most impressed by the resourcefulness of the villagers, who were basically self-sustaining. The photo was taken during a welcoming ceremony in the village chief's house. Another memorable experience I have from this trip is drinking kava, a popular Fijian drink made with the root of a pepper plant, with some of the villagers that night."

Honorable Mention of the 2019 Global Development Photo Contest

Doris Rodriguez, '21, Science, Technology, and Society

A woman pushing aside an obstruction in a body water with a stick

Junín, Peru

"I was traveling through Peru with my best friend who is from this region and whose family has a ranch in the area. We went to Lake Junín, which townspeople say is home to a mermaid. The woman in the photo was clearing the way for our small canoe, and told us she has seen the mermaid many times."