Alpius and his family are among the micro-grant recipients for underweight toddlers. Receiving three chickens, it is hoped that he can improve the nutrition of his son, Roy, with the eggs produced from these chickens. Roy has sufficient food and received a green line at KMS Posyandu. Kathy Yudha, SurfAid

Australian unionists met with the Timor-Leste farmers’ union, Uniaun Agrikultores Ermera (UNAER), which is tackling the challenges of an insecure food system, climate change, and the high cost of importing food by organising into unions and food cooperatives. Australian unionists have a long history of supporting Timor-Leste’s independence movement and its subsequent reconstruction. Melanie Barnes, Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA

So They Can's network of 150 trained Champion Mothers and Fathers in Tanzania and Kenya are drivers of social change in their villages. Here, a Champion Mother conducts a menstrual hygiene health management session with girls in a rural school in Tanzania. In rural communities where female genital cutting, child marriage and early pregnancy are prevalent, Champions protect and advocate for girls' rights to education. As the focal point in their community, Champions are the critical connector between all of the various duty bearers. ‘Since I became a Champion Mother I have been able to rescue teenage mothers and get them re enrolled in school. I regard it as my biggest achievement and I hope to assist more young mothers. I am dedicated to sensitising the members of my community on the importance of education.’ Ramadhani Hussein, So They Can

Bishnu Prasad Shresth, 52, from Nepal, embodies resilience. At 12, he noticed white patches on his skin, dismissed as a skin allergy. For 20 years, his symptoms worsened, affecting his ability to attend school and work. Eventually, he was diagnosed with leprosy. Despite these challenges, Bishnu didn’t give up.

He moved to India to work and support his family, even as his condition worsened. A chance encounter led him to Anandaban Hospital, he received vital care, though he had already lost his fingers. Despite enduring surgeries and an amputation due to severe ulcers, Bishnu remains determined.

After his foot amputation, he’s learning to walk again and hopes to return home to open a small shop. Bishnu’s unwavering hope and strength are a testament to his resilience, as he continues to fight for a better future for himself and his wife, despite the difficulties they've faced. Supa Thejan, The Leprosy Mission Australia

In rural Bangladesh, Monoranjon and Anita are facing the impacts of climate change on their farm. Heatwaves, erratic rainfall, flooding and changing soil salinity have meant that traditional crops are no longer viable. Caritas Australia, through our partner Caritas Bangladesh, are helping communities across Bangladesh adapt to climate impacts with access to training and resources around climate-adaptable crops and disaster preparedness. Mark Harding, Caritas Australia

Uganda’s fertile land has long sustained its population, with the capacity to feed 200 million people—four times its current population. However, rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and extreme weather events like droughts and floods are making agriculture increasingly uncertain. This is the reality of climate change.

In 2024, Love Mercy began deepening our plans to build climate resilience into our Cents for Seeds program. One key adaptation is the trial of a water irrigation system to help farmers withstand these changing conditions.

Pictured are Cents for Seeds participants gathering crops after a successful harvest, a testament to the program's positive impact. In the background, you can see a solar-powered borehole well, which supplies water for the irrigation plot and is key to the success of the trial. Florence Ademun, Love Mercy Uganda

Families receiving micro-grants for underweight toddlers. The three chickens given by SurfAid have successfully laid eggs, and the eggs were given to their almost three-year-old chicks. Mr. Kedu and Mrs. Kobu are still struggling to improve their child's nutritional status so that they become better and well-nourished. Kathy Yudha, SurfAid

Pictured are the amazing women of Community Based Organisation (CBO), Tenaki, which formed through their initial association with Symbiosis International.

These women live on one of the largest sandbar islands on the Jamuna River, Bangladesh, and have been together as a CBO for 6 years. Many of them move their homes on a regular basis due to flooding.

But the unyielding floods doesn’t stop them from seeking to end child marriage in their community. If they hear of an impending marriage involving a child, they collectively speak to the families involved and try to convince them to stop the marriage. If that doesn’t work, they go as a group to the local authorities, the police or government representatives using their legal status as a government-registered organisation to advocate for the child and the law to stop the marriage. There are now very few child marriages in their community. Lisa Campbell, Symbiosis International

A worker from the MA'AN Development Center prepares hot meals to deliver to families in the Northern Gaza Strip, one of the areas most affected by the bombing. MA'AN is a long-term partner organisation of Union Aid Abroad–APHEDA, and its workers continue to provide emergency aid amid dire conditions, even as some have lost co-workers or family members during the past year. MA’AN Development Centre

Razia is one of 6.6 million women and families supported with small loans through Opportunity International Australia’s local partners. Like many women in rural Gujarat, Razia had few formal employment opportunities. With small loans to buy buffaloes and cows to milk, she has built a sustainable livelihood. She feeds some of the nutritious milk to her family, selling the rest through a local dairy cooperative. Her husband has found work at the cooperative’s local milk chilling plant, where Razia sends her milk. Today, Razia owns six buffaloes and twelve cows. With the income from her dairy business, Razia has been able to support her family, and she opened a small snack shop nearby, which her son Javed runs. The family is more resilient to economic shocks, and they have been able to install a borewell on their farm for water and add solar panels to their home for electricity. Deepka Sharma, Opportunity International Australia

Thirty-three-year-old Dia has big dreams for her children and works hard to achieve a better future. Opportunity International Australia’s supporters helped local partner Bina Artha Ventura open a new microfinance branch in her community, bringing new financial opportunities to Dia and the women in her village.   Women in Dia’s community come together as a collective to take out small loans, meeting regularly. Dia took out a loan to expand her family business. Together with her husband Alimin, who is a blacksmith, Dia makes equipment for agricultural and household use, including kitchen knives, sickles and machetes and sells them in local markets.   The profits from the business provide for their children’s education. “My hope is for my children to be success with the help of my business,” Dia said. “My aspirations for my four children are, first, to educate them as much as I can.” Simon Lynch, Opportunity International Australia

Lam was born and raised in rural Vietnam with his farming parents and three siblings. As a man of short stature, he experienced significant physical and social barriers due to his disability. Many aspects of his well-being became impacted due to his mobility issues, and he became increasingly isolated from society. Despite these challenges, Lam held onto his cheeky character and strong determination. With the support of Caritas Australia’s partner, Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Lam pursued a six-month IT training course in a program called I-SHINE. His dedication led him to launch a successful freelance graphic design business, serving clients locally and internationally. This photo captures Lam enjoying the fruits of his hard work in the large city of Da Nang, where he studied. The joyful personality that Lam always held onto shines through this photo and is a true testament to his unwavering resilience. Serena Frost, Caritas Australia

Tsehay* relocated to the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa in search of a better future. She struggled to earn a living until she joined the Tesfa (Hope) project where she receives support and training to build a pathway out of poverty. Now she has hope for a brighter future for her children. "I think my life will be better in the future," she says. Genaye Eshetu, Contractor, Act For Peace

Lila’s story is one of resilience and strength. After losing her husband, she was left alone to care for her three children. When diagnosed with leprosy, her fears grew, but Lila refused to give up. Despite the pain and isolation, she made the two-day journey to Anandaban Hospital alone, determined to seek treatment. Now, she is receiving Multi-Drug Therapy at the hospital. Though she still worries about her children and her future, Lila remains hopeful. Her resilience shines through as she learns to care for herself and continues working to provide for her family. In time, Lila will return home, equipped with the knowledge and care needed to manage her condition. Her strength and determination inspire others to keep going, no matter the challenges she faces. Supa Thejan, The Leprosy Mission Australia

In this quiet moment, Lam, a man of short stature from rural Vietnam, reflects on a past shadowed by significant physical and social barriers due to his disability. The world outside his farming family home felt distant, and the weight of exclusion left him questioning his future career prospects. Yet, through the support of Caritas Australia’s partner, Catholic Relief Services (CRS), and the I-SHINE program, Lam created a path forward for himself that started with completing a six-month IT training course. Despite the challenges, he harnessed his resilience to build a successful freelance graphic design business, connecting with clients worldwide. This photo captures the journey Lam has been on and is a testament to the power of his unwavering determination. Serena Frost, Caritas Australia

There are 12 women in the Tolosie Women’s Group, some are pictured here. Their ages range from 24 to 50 years old, and most are small farm holders. Since 2012, they have been meeting weekly in their remote hometown village of Perkerra, Baringo in Kenya. They do so to support one another, as friends and as business women who know that pooling their knowledge and resources benefits everyone. In 2023 together as a group, they planted a 20-acre plot of mung beans, generating KSH 15,000 profit (approx AUD $154), which was added to the group’s table banking.

So They Can supports close to 200 Kenyan women every year through it's Wezesha Business Skills Project (WBSP). Women's groups participate in business training, and access small capital loans, which has a direct impact on the profitability of their businesses, and the health and wellbeing of their families and children’s education. Peter Mwaura, So They Can

Konjit* has experienced significant trauma and abuse in her life. Konjit and her children haven’t had a safe place to live or enough food to eat. The makeshift house they live in doesn’t have a proper door, so she sleeps in the entrance to protect her children. Since joining the Tesfa (Hope) program, Konjit* is excited for the future. “After we heard that we were selected to be in the program, our power totally changed. We became empowered. We recognise that someone has trust and belief in us and will give us a chance and opportunity to change our lives. It’s a big deal," she says. Genaye Eshetu, Contractor, Act For Peace

Sakhina is a Rohingya refugee from Myanmar, who has been living in the Cox's Bazar refugee camp in Bangladesh for seven years. Her family were forced to flee their home under a hail of gunfire and spent 10 days in the forest with no food and little water. Despite these hardships, Sakhina got her family to safety. She takes care of her daughter, who lives with a disability, and is pictured here outside an accessible latrine in the camp. The latrine is near her shelter, and has a ramp and rails meaning her daughter can use it without assistance. Mark Harding, Caritas Australia

Mahboba and the children of our Panjshir Valley Hope House/Orphanage. Mahboba’s Promise