Photographer Brandon Stanton started his blog Humans of New York (Hony) as a tribute to the people of New York City. He approached strangers on the street, asked them a simple but thought-provoking question, and took their photograph if they obliged. The portraits - and the sometimes curious answers - proved popular and Hony has garnered a loyal following far beyond New York, with more than 9 million fans on Facebook.

Now, Stanton has taken his blog on tour, visiting 11 countries in 50 days in partnership with the UN. He says his remit is much the same as it is in New York – to listen to as many people as possible and show that everyone has a story to tell. The tour also aims to raise awareness of the millennium development goals (MDGs), the UN’s targets for tackling the world’s biggest problems by 2015.



People in Iraq, Jordan, Uganda, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan have been photographed by Stanton, with Ukraine, India, Vietnam, Ecuador and Haiti to come. “It’s been a very emotional experience,” Stanton said from South Sudan, a last-minute addition to his itinerary. “Obviously, the spectrum of experience that I’ve encountered has been much wider. In many of these countries, the level of tragedy in people’s lives is much broader and deeper than in New York. It’s been very sobering for me to be collecting stories in areas affected by war and poverty.”



Despite their differences, Stanton said the people of New York had much in common with the people he has met on his travels. “I think the similarities I’ve noticed are the aspirations of people. It seems that everywhere I go, people want the same things – security, education, family. It’s just that so many people have no avenues through which to obtain these things,” he said.



‘We’re trying to get to Grandma’s’ – Zaatari refugee camp, Jordan

Stanton’s most memorable visit was to Jordan’s Zaatari refugee camp, home to almost 80,000 Syrian refugees. “These people have lost all semblance of a normal life, and their stories are all heartbreaking, but each in a different way,” he said.



Comments from the millions of people following Stanton’s tour show his photos are helping the UN reach a new audience. “We don’t normally see Africa like this,” one said on Facebook. Another added: “I love how these photos are showing the good that is already happening.”



Gabo Arora, UN adviser to the secretary general’s MDG advocacy group, coordinated the tour with Stanton. He said the aim was to make the MDGs more accessible and inspire action before next year’s deadline. “We’ve been joking that the MDGs are cool again, or if they were never cool, they are now,” Arora said. “For us, this is a new way of getting the message out there. It’s not just about celebrities, there are some very influential people online like Brandon who we can partner with for creative campaigns like this.”

In their own words



Juba, South Sudan

“My father left for war in 1992, and never came home. Our mother didn’t tell us he was dead for a long time. We just thought he was still fighting. But one day we were being extremely difficult, and she started crying, and said: ‘Please behave. I’m a single mother now. So I’m going to need your help.’”



Kampala, Uganda

– “What’s the most important thing your mother has taught you?”



– “If you buy food, you should always eat it with someone else.”

Kampala, Uganda

“I dropped out of college to start my own business. Some study the roots, and others pick the fruits.”



Nairobi, Kenya

– “When they don’t think I’m watching, they do the funniest things. They are always dancing together. I found them in the kitchen yesterday, pretending to cook.”



– “What’s your greatest worry as a parent?”



– “Their health. They’re always getting sick from the cold and the dust. Sometimes the dust gets so bad, they lose their voices.”

Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo

“I’m studying law. My dream is to be a judge one day. Too many people in this country are only in prison because they were too poor to defend themselves. When I’m a judge, I’ll look only at the facts, and not at the person.”



Irbil, Iraq

“We live in a very conservative culture, but I want my children to be open-minded. I try to bring them to as many places as possible: big malls, art galleries, concerts. We want them to see as many types of people as possible, and as many types of ideas as possible.”

Irbil, Iraq

“She speaks more languages than anyone in the family because she plays with all the children in the street.”



Salt, Jordan

“How did I become a community leader? Every time there’s a wedding, I go to say: ‘Congratulations.’ Every time there’s a funeral, I go to say: ‘I’m sorry.’”

Kasangulu, the Democratic Republic of the Congo

She said she’d let me take her photo if I bought some peanuts from her. Afterward, I asked if she could remember the saddest moment of her life. She laughed, and said: “You’re going to need to buy some more peanuts.”