Introduction
In late 2016, we sent 20 disposable cameras to mothers around the world — to places like Iraq and Hong Kong, the West Bank and Brazil.
We wanted to include the stories of women who might not have smartphones or access to social media, and to see their world through their eyes.
Along the way, some cameras got stuck in customs, some cameras expired. Many rolls of film, like this one from Mexico, were returned to us with underexposed or blurry images.
Every camera tells a different story.
Some show single moms, like Aki Yanazwa, a 35-year-old in Tokyo, who ran for local office to improve the lives of working women.
And 42-year-old Rebecca Carter in London, who had her daughter via IVF.
Other mothers — like Jamila Amin in Erbil, Iraq — parent as part of larger, extended families.
Sometimes mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and grandparents all live together.
And then there’s May in Hong Kong, who stands alone in her photos.
She’s a domestic worker and mother of a 7-year-old who moved to the city more than three years ago for a job that would help support her family back in the Philippines. Now, she only sees her daughter on Skype.
Often, though, family life at its core looks the same around the world.
Children play in Mexico...
... in China,
... and in the West Bank.
Children wear backpacks and head to school in Nigeria...
... and in Iraq.
And of course, doting mothers everywhere take cute photos of their children.
These are their photos. Scroll down for more.
Brazil
Renata de Figuereido da Silva, 39, lives in a favela in Rio de Janeiro. She is a an aesthetician by trade, but is a homemaker now. Her husband, Ramon, drives for Uber. She has three daughters, who are 22, 12 and 4.
China
Cao Ying, 33, lives with her family in a suburb of Beijing, where the air quality is better than in the city center, she says. She has a 3-year-old son, and was pregnant with her second child when these photos were taken.
Cuba
Yoannia Peña Aguilar, 33, is a single mother and makeup stylist. She lives in Havana, Cuba, with her 2-year-old daughter.
Hong Kong
Josie May S. Quijado is a single mother who lives in Hong Kong. She came to the city a few ago for a job as a domestic worker that would help support her family back in the Philippines. She only sees her 7-year-old daughter, Sam, on Skype. May sent us a separate photo of her daughter, since we couldn't see her in any of these.
India
Ushma Batra, 29, lives in New Delhi with her husband and 3-year-old daughter, Ellie. Ushma works during the day at a shawl store and her husband, Rajiv, works a night shift so one of them can always be home to take care of Rajiv's mother. Ushma and Rajiv's families initially disagreed with their marriage because she's Hindu and he's Christian.
Because of expired cameras and underexposed photos, some families, including this one, opted to send us some photos taken with digital cameras or smart phones.
Iraq
Jamila Amin, 40, lives in Erbil, Iraq. She has been married for 12 years and has three daughters. Jamila used to be a primary school teacher, and is a housewife now. She lives with her husband's extended family.
Japan
Aki Yanazwa, 35, is a single mother who lives in Tokyo with her 6-year-old daughter, Mao. She is a local assembly member who decided to run for office in 2011 to improve the environment for working mothers. Female representation is rare in Japan, where politics is dominated by men.
Japan
Miya Yada, 36, is a working mother with a 4-year-old daughter. She hopes she will be part of the first generation of Japanese women who can have both a fulfilling career and private life. Access to child care is limited in Japan, which makes it difficult for mothers to work.
Kenya
Lilian Akinyi, 29, lives in a slum in Nairobi with her four children. She is the breadwinner in her house, washing clothes for students, and has other small businesses to feed her family and pay for her children's education. Her dream is to become a successful businesswoman.
Because of expired cameras and underexposed photos, some families, including this one, opted to send us some photos taken with digital cameras or smart phones.
Lebanon
Samar Mhanna, 36, lives in Beirut, Lebanon, where she works in advertising production and as a food stylist. She is married and has two children: a 10-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son.
Mexico
Lissette, 36, lives in Mexico City and has a 5-year-old daughter, Aurora. She works in a predominantly male field as an editor for different news agencies.
Mexico
Manu, 37, is a single mom who lives in Mexico City with her 11-year-old son, Joshua. She works in a beauty salon with three of her sisters.
Nigeria
Coker Olubunmi is a married mother of three. She works at a large telecommunications company as a manager.
Russia
Olga Nechaeva, 36, lives in Moscow with her husband, mother, 4-year-old daughter, 2-year-old son and two cats. "We are a perfectly average family except for one detail – Tommy is a special needs child," she says.
Sweden
Caroline lives in Taby, a suburb of Stockholm, Sweden, with her husband and their toddler, Alice. She was pregnant with her second baby when these photos were taken, and is now on maternity leave from her job at a publishing company.
Turkey
Bahriye Kabadayı Dal, 40, is a documentary filmmaker in Turkey. She works at home preparing for documentaries and raising her daughter, Defne, at the same time.
UAE
Noha Mamdouh, 49, is from Egypt and lives in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. She has two children, who are 16 and 22 years old.
Because of expired cameras and underexposed photos, some families, including this one, opted to send us some photos taken with digital cameras or smart phones.
UK
Rebecca Carter, 42, lives in London with her 2-year-old daughter, Harriet Florence (who she nicknamed Bunny). Rebecca conceived her daughter through IVF and says she is "very grateful that a lovely, handsome, clever young man in America donated sperm so I could have this magical little girl by myself."
West Bank
Um Muhammad AlNawajaa, 40, is a mother of eight. She lives in a village called Susiya in the West Bank.