Broken hearts.
Fear.
Failed plans.
Homes around the world have been changed by the age of COVID.
But amidst the devastation...
there have been unexpected moments of opportunity...
and a chance for new perspectives.
And — despite it all — there's hope.
In 21 countries, photographers take us inside people's living rooms to see how the past three years have shifted our daily realities, and our hopes for the future.
Binh, Vietnam
Photos by Hiệu Nguyễn
"Memories of my wife and daughter keep flooding back, like it happened yesterday."
In the space of a week, Binh Phan lost two of the most important people in his life.
There were no goodbyes.
Binh and his wife were separated and quarantined in hospital when they both tested positive to COVID and their two adult children with disabilities were left at home to care for one another.
When Binh got out, he found out his wife and daughter had died.
His son, Thien Vu, had been left in the house with his sister's body for days before it could be taken by the army for cremation.
Surrounded by the memory of his former life, Binh is trying to focus on the time he has left with his son.
"His life from birth has been very difficult.
"I just want a peaceful life with my son."
Sharon, Australia
Photos by Margaret Burin
As reports of a new virus began to emerge out of China, Sharon Zantuck had just given birth to twin girls after 14 rounds of IVF, at a cost of $100,000.
Before that, she’d been working as a nurse manager with hopes of one day having a high-profile role in the public health system.
"Career was a big thing for me," she says.
Her partner Bec had given birth to their first child, Harvey, but Sharon had been desperate for a pregnancy and birth of her own.
And she finally got it.
But her maternity leave didn't look like she'd imagined, and harsh Melbourne lockdowns — among the longest in the world — contributed to her postnatal depression.
But in this time she has seen her twins grow, and developed a new outlook.
"Now is important," Sharon says.
"Some days I'm like I can't wait for this to end, and you know, I don't want to wish away the days."
"Camping in the backyard, or building a fort in Harvey's bedroom, like that's what he'll remember. Or the girls on the slide or a swing with pure joy," Sharon says.
ABC: Margaret Burin
"Watching the kids learn each day, seeing the pleasure that they get out of little things, I think puts things into perspective.
"We forget those little simple things. I think I can learn from that — getting joy out of something so simple as a slide or a swing or bubbles.”
Kenny, South Africa
Photos by Jacques Nelles
"It was horrible. We ran out of money, my wife decided she wasn't happy with me anymore, she left me. I came back to stay with my folks."
Kenny Pinnock lost his marriage and his job as a pigeon breeder in Morocco.
Returning to South Africa, his focus shifted to caring for his parents, and creating an opportunity.
Being an avid falconer, Kenny took his passion and turned it into a new business, using his falcon Ryder to clear pesky pigeons from airports and buildings throughout the Gauteng province.
"So the family home has been really important to me, it's been a safe haven and now we are quite happy living here together," he says.
"The trajectory of my whole life was changed.
"The new business I have started … has been what's kept me going."
Géraldine, Cote d'ivoire
Photos by Olivier Khouadiani
"He was my best friend. My whole life revolved around him."
Géraldine Lou lost her husband Cédric a month before he would have met their second son.
He was out picking up her favourite takeaway and never returned.
There was no autopsy but Géraldine believes Cédric, who was immunocompromised, may have had a cardiac arrest linked to COVID.
Her world crumbled, but she's slowly started to rebuild.
"I really hope to fall in love again one day. Because a life without love is not worth living. But for the moment I get enough love from my children."
Emmanuel, Rwanda
Photos by Dan Nsengiyumva
"We have two beautiful daughters.
"The elder one is eight years, and the younger one was born in 2020.
"I can't forget that day when she was born."
Emmanuel Tuyambaze and his wife Nyirarukundo welcomed their baby girl in the middle of lockdown.
A local leader organised a patrol car to get them to hospital because ambulances were overwhelmed with the pandemic.
"We named our baby Princess Abijuru, but considering the situation we went through, we added Irizerwa, which means God is reliable.
"The idea of an additional name was mine because I was hopeless in the first total lockdown, so my only faith was in God and that is where I got the name from because we were passing through very challenging moments …
"There was no life in our home."
"Many people's plans failed during the pandemic, and I was one of them. I was planning to build another house in my compound to try to have some cheap rentals," he says.
"We were living in fear of the pandemic and hunger. I was worried about how to obtain our daily meals."
However it did give him the chance to take on a different role in the home.
"[It] was an opportunity to interact with my first daughter helping her with homework that she was doing from the lessons she was getting via the radio.
"I also helped my wife by preparing meals when she was breastfeeding.
"I spent time at home with family and I learned a lot about domestic life and growing mentally.”
Despite experiencing the most challenging of times — when it was difficult to find hope — Emmanuel has gratitude for being able to get through them.
"We thank the government that was providing us with information and food as vulnerable families.
"Now we are about to overcome the pandemic because the government has put in place many efforts for delivering vaccines around all the corners of the country."
Sofie, Germany
Photos by Sandra Schildwaechter
Sofie Jankuhn has felt the impacts of COVID long after the virus left her body.
Though initially her illness was relatively mild with flu-like symptoms, she developed long COVID.
For many months, her world became the same four walls.
Sofie was confined to bed with debilitating exhaustion and excruciating pain in her muscles and joints.
"That's when I realised how valuable one's own health is and how great it was to live independently before – just to have a normal everyday life, to be able to go everywhere by bike or car, just everything, without pain," she says.
"I went into my thoughts and had faith, a tiny little faith in the back of my mind, 'It's going to be okay! You're going to get your life back and then it's going to get even better'."
Her isolation forced her to look forward to little things, like her daily meeting with TV show characters, or travelling to another country through the tastes in one of her mum's meals.
Now that she's regaining her strength, she's soaking up the world beyond her balcony.
"It relaxes me when I realise that the world is much bigger than the rooms I've been living in …
"And I see that everything goes on. It hasn't all collapsed.
"There are still the same houses, the same cafes … life just goes on. You can be so desperate, yet there is always the next morning."
Barbara, Lithuania
Photos by Joanna Božerodska
"It seemed like all the illnesses disappeared and the only remaining issue was COVID."
"I am still in the process of fashion brand creation and still hoping to succeed." Fashion designer Barbara Baranowska is in the process of creating a fashion label.
Barbara has been focused on getting through a different illness. During the pandemic, she was diagnosed with blood cancer.
"When I feel down or disturbed I sew or search inspirational pictures for my future creatives.
"While receiving my chemotherapy I was really sad and anxious, and I began to sew silk scrunchies. It helped me to distract myself and also make some girls happy."
"I really hope that humanity will not face any other virus disease and that my cancer will never come back."
Kewen, Taiwan
Photos by Shufan Yu
Kewen Yin, a student from the Chinese mainland, moved away to study and break free from the bonds of family life — but never anticipated the extent of her separation.
Facing challenges together over three years, including fracturing her spine in a fall, her dorm roommates became like family.
Kewen is hoping to return to her home in mainland China soon, but prohibitive flight and quarantine costs mean she's not sure when that will be.
"Before 2020, I never considered 'going back home for the New Year festival' as a hope. In traditional Chinese culture, the New Year is the most important holiday of the year, a time for family reunions."
Kewen moved from Zhejiang Province to Taipei in 2019. She says the pandemic has made her realise how insignificant humans can be in the face of such a disaster.
"I used to set more lofty goals for myself, such as what kind of person I wanted to be and what kind of accomplishments I wanted to achieve. But now I want more for myself, my family, and my friends to be healthy and safe because that is the foundation for everything.
"I've realised that life is actually very fragile ... living is not something to be taken for granted."
Togzhan, United Kingdom
Photos by Daniyar Mussirov
For Togzhan Mussirova in Kazakhstan the pandemic actually presented new opportunity.
While many people's worlds got smaller, hers was about to get a lot bigger.
"Like many new mothers, I was happy, but I was also afraid of the future. I was afraid that I would not be able to build a career, to recover again in my previous profession … I decided to start fulfilling my dreams. First of all, I wanted to try to learn something new and take on new heights."
With the extra time at home, it gave Togzhan the motivation to look into master's degrees at foreign universities.
She received a scholarship and moved with her family to London.
"[It] led me to the realisation of my dream. The pandemic, and any other hard times, showed me that there should always be hope for the best," she says.
"Coronavirus has shown that nature is stronger than humans and we still have to fight for our lives. So now I have one more hope — that my loved ones are healthy and continue to enjoy this incredible life, although this is not always possible. But with hope for the best, it's a little easier, isn't it?"
Aljaž and Eva, Slovenia
Photos by Mankica Kranjec
Eva Pavlič Seifert and her husband Aljaž Celarc gave their family life a positive twist despite the challenging times going on around them.
The couple decided to build the sustainable and self-sufficient home and way of living they’d always wanted.
"Our main wish was to create a home, a house we built ourselves with our own hands and sourced from natural materials. We wanted to become as self-sufficient as possible," Aljaž says.
On a 1.3 hectare property surrounded by forest near the Croatian border, they shut themselves off from the world and went off-grid.
"It might sound strange, but life during the pandemic felt more normal than society's business as usual," Eva says.
"Living in the country was much better than living in a city where people were confined to their apartments, with limited access to food, and had to pay high living costs. I sometimes like to stop and look at everything we have created."
Tucked away on their slice of heaven, Eva says they want to teach their daughter how beautiful it is to create a sustainable life.
"As for society, I wish people realised what they are capable of. I want people to regain confidence in how they can slowly change the world for the better."
Khanzaada, Kyrgystan
Photos by Danil Usmanov
Khanzaada Zhumabekova had big hopes for a new business. She and her husband were going to breed cattle in their village.
The pandemic hit, they almost went broke, and then came the intense boredom of being stuck at home.
When Khanzaada thought they had hit rock bottom, her husband died from a stroke, which she believes was COVID-related.
After falling into a deep depression, two years passed by without her barely knowing.
"I hope to come out of the depression fully and have better times with my daughters, to give my daughters a college education and a bright future, to be a support to them," she says.
"I used to be constantly thinking about how to make money and feed my family … having my children and grandchildren watch the house.
"Now I'm already thinking about a deeper connection. I talk to my daughters a lot. They've become like friends to me. Before I was only thinking about work, now it's more about family."
Victor, Nigeria
Photos by Olakunle Ogunfuyi
Victor Erebifa Phullu lost most of his choreography work when the entertainment industry shut down overnight.
"After several months at home doing nothing, I started gaining weight, which is not good for my line of business. I soon embarked on regular exercises to keep my mind and body in shape. In life, change is inevitable …"
Having been involved in reality TV shows and performing on high-profile stages and events, he’s always dreamed of opening his own dance studio where he can host and mentor up-and-coming dancers.
While his bigger plans were on hold, he began teaching guitar to put food on the table for his family, and now plans to incorporate that into his business plans.
"My hope and vision remain solid. I am still planning on having the platform and the dance studio because I will not give up on it."
Lambet, Cameroon
Photos by Etienne Mainimo
Lambet Kehven was building up his journalism career. But after he lost his job, he moved to the city to secure a job as a baker.
Like many, he is grateful for parts of this challenging time.
"Before the pandemic, I must confess that work had taken a greater part of me, but things changed as I was now able to be with the family."
Lambet still does dream of being a great journalist, but has his mind open to different opportunities.
"It's true that a lot has changed but I am still hoping to make it great, especially in my career and for my family.
"The way I am looking at the future now is quite different … one has to think diversely now."
Sakina, United States
Photos by Susan Moeller
At a time when she expected to be out having fun with her friends, Sakina Allen found herself stuck at home doing nothing.
The boredom opened doors for learning about herself and who she wants to be.
Hours playing police investigation games and watching forensic TV shows with her family led Sakina to decide she wanted to study criminology in college.
"I’m mainly more mature, because pre-COVID I wasn’t really focused on school and that showed through my grades. But I’ve progressed way more as a person. My grades are better. I’m more responsible.
"Time to be successful in life."
After a tough three years, it's also time for some normal teenage life.
"I just hope that everything – both COVID and school, to be honest — goes well and I can finally graduate," Sakina says.
"Just have that moment of going to prom and having my graduation party, and actually graduating in person from high school.
"I just hope that when I grow up, that things like me being a woman don’t hurt my chances of being what I actually want to be in life. There are so many challenges… I don’t want to say 'race', but race, too."
Asma', Jordan
Photos by Sami Jarwan
"When you lose the one who you were living with and plan for life in every single detail, you lose the purpose of it."
For Asma' Ar'ar, the pandemic has shrunk her world forever.
When her husband died, followed by her father in the same week, her belief in God and her children were the only things that kept her going.
"My husband and I were planning to get our sons married and travel to our third son in the US. But when COVID came, everything stopped.
Now she has one big — yet simple — wish.
"For now I only hope to make our dream happen and see our sons married as we planned, and that my family and the world live in peace and away from crises and diseases."
Shawndel, Guyana
Photos by Aubrey Odle
Shawndel Jupiter enjoyed more quality time with her children but is also hopeful about getting back some of things many of us have always taken for granted.
"During this time I got to spend more time with my family, be there for them, advise them, share thoughts with them, especially relatives living overseas.
"My hope for the near future is for my kids to get face-to-face learning… Also I cannot wait to be outdoors [and] freely visit family and friends."
Suleiman, South Sudan
Photos by Atiol Elmalik
"What I have discovered is that my whole family, they are artists, and they love the arts seriously. I call them the family of arts."
The pandemic has confirmed the importance of art in Suleiman Ahmed Abdallh Morgan's life.
"I enjoyed my time at home because it gave me time to do my painting. And I have had time to discover the kids' talents," he says.
"I hope that through my art, none of my kids will face challenges. I am trying to teach them that you can make a living from your passion and talent.”
The pandemic has also given Suleiman a great appreciation science.
"The COVID-19 vaccines, getting vaccinated, gave me hope that we can get out of the hard life we have been facing and go back to the normal life we used to live before."
Matluba, Uzbekistan
Photos by Husniddin Ato
"My belief for the future, belief in God, and my family's support makes me strong."
For Matluba Samarova, who has had long-lasting health impacts from COVID and has relied heavily on her family for care, her hope is for health.
"I hope that in the near future I will be healthy, that I can fight the disease complications (from COVID), especially with diabetes," she says.
Kolapo, Nigeria
Photos by Mansur Ibrahim
Kolapo Olapoju hopes the pandemic puts the spotlight on some of the world's inequalities.
"I want to see a situation where we are more prepared for pandemics," he says.
"A situation that not only the West is adequately prepared for but also Africa and other developing countries, that collectively and globally, we are more prepared to tackle, handle and overcome them quick enough and also that we are more prepared to the extent that the next pandemic won't put us at a standstill."
Kolapo says he's shifted from being an idealistic optimist to an idealistic realist.
"I'm still hopeful. I think the pandemic toughened a lot of us," he says.
"Maybe if there was no pandemic, if we didn't feel the impact, perhaps it would be harder to deal with what we are dealing with globally now — rising food prices and inflation."
Marvin, Suriname
Photos by Irvin Ngariman
Marvin Dipoikromo has new gratitude for his life.
"Seeing people dying from COVID-19 and struggling to make ends meet in our country has reminded me to appreciate the simple things in life even more," he says.
"I have the privilege as a doctor and independent caregiver to have a sure amount of income every month compared to others. When we are grateful for the things around us, it makes us feel more positive, gives us more energy and helps us acknowledge the goodness that occurs in our lives."
Taylor, United States
Photos by Dyanna Montemayor
"The pandemic has awakened people and I hope that we can continue to address social and political issues both at a national level and international level."
After leaving a toxic relationship and being in a job she hated, Taylor Cunanan found happiness with Angely.
"She has been there for me every step of the way for three straight years and counting.
"The best part of our relationship is that we’ve overcome a lot of challenges that the pandemic has brought onto us, which welded our bond together even stronger than before."
"Having a strong support system is what helps me get through hard times," she says.
Ji-sun, South Korea
Photos by Unho Ko
In three years Yim Ji-sun got married, became a mum and made a home.
Her focus shifted from the career she lived for to her family, and she thinks many Koreans have also re-evaluated what matters.
"The definition of happiness and hope seems to have changed a lot in Korea due to the growing gap between the rich and the poor, excessive educational enthusiasm, obsession with success, and abnormal competition.
For Ji-sun hope lies with the son who's brought her so much happiness.
"In a better environment, I hope there will be a future where my son and his friends can dream of happiness with full hope.
"I hope my son can have more hope."
Oksana, France
Photos by Catherine Grimault
Two years ago, Oksana Strieletskaya couldn't have imagined she would soon be hoping to return to her home country.
She had already fled her home in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, where the war in Donbass began in 2014.
She'd bought an apartment, started a private tax practice and had become the head of a centre helping victims of domestic violence.
But on February 24, 2022 Russia began firing missiles at Ukraine's capital, invading from multiple directions.
"That day changed the life of every Ukrainian. For us, the most difficult decision was to leave our homes, leave the people close to us, and leave all our measured lives…in search of safety."
Oksana — along with her son Jan and two friends, twin sisters Alla and Lida — became one of the millions to flee Ukraine.
They're now living in France. In the darkest of times, the kindness of others has given her hope.
"Today we all have one dream, we dream of peace, peace in Ukraine. We dream about our houses to which we want to return. We dream of seeing and hugging all our relatives and friends. All of our friends. We want to walk along the streets that are familiar to us from our childhoods. And we want to be sure to tell our family about France."
About this story
This independent photo project began when a group of photojournalists who participated in the US Department of State International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) decided to collaborate and tell a story about this global moment in time.
Credits
- Project coordinators: Margaret Burin, Mankica Kranjec and Sami Jarwan
- Design and production: Georgina Piper
- Development: Colin Gourlay
- Production and editing: Tim Leslie and Matt Liddy
Image credits for opening mosaic
Dan Nsengiyumva (Rwanda); Hiệu Nguyễn (Vietnam); Husniddin Ato (Uzbekistan); Jacques Nelles (South Africa); Sami Jarwan (Jordan); Daniyar Mussirov (United Kingdom); Sandra Schildwaechter (Germany); Margaret Burin (Australia); Daniyar Mussirov (United Kingdom); Danil Usmanov (Kyrgystan); Susan D. Moeller (United States); Olivier Khouadiani (Cote d’ivoire); Unho Ko (South Korea); Atiol Elmalik (South Sudan); Shufan Yu (Taiwan); Mankica Kranjec (Slovenia); Joanna Božerodska (Lithuania)
