Childhood is an experience, an era of imagination. They have endless fun with no concern for the bad out there. Massimo Bietti, an Italian photographer, traveled the world and captured portraits of children from different geographical locations.

He has been on his adventure of photography in several countries like Russia, Norway, India, Papua New Guinea, Ethiopia, Malaysia, Vanuatu, and many others. His unfiltered photographs will seem different from what you’ve experienced because their normal and your normal can be worlds apart.

#1 South Sudan

#2 Russia

#3 India

#4 Ethiopia

#5 Madagascar

Sadly, children around the world do not get the opportunity to experience the same kinds of luxuries. Children are exploited as laborers depriving them of their childhood, their potential, and mental and physical development. Some are forced into marriages before they reach the age suitable for marriage, and most of them result in domestic violence. There are laws to prevent such acts of subjugation, but these are not put into action all the time. In addition to that, there’s poverty, lack of education, health issues, climate, and many other factors that deprive children of a free childhood to explore their talents and capabilities.

#6 Russia

#7 South Sudan

#8 Cambodia

#9 Ethiopia

#10 Nepal

In 2019, the annual Global Childhood Report reported that today’s children have gotten a better chance to create a better life for themselves than at any other time in history. The number of suffering children in 2000 amounted to 970 million, and this amount has reduced by 280 million, bringing the total down to 690 million. Though there are still a lot of lives to be changed, this is a great milestone.

#11 Vanuatu

#12 Ethiopia

#13 Papua New Guinea

#14 Malaysia

#15 Cambodia

Bietti clearly depicts such differences and how they have affected children around the world. He is not the only one to direct public attention toward them. GMB Akash, a Bangladeshi photographer took a great leap ahead by taking responsibility for working with kids and educating them. Then, he took before and after photographs to subtly demonstrate the differences that education can make in the life of a pure, innocent soul.

#16 Ethiopia

#17 Bangladesh

#18 Myanmar

#19 Norway

#20 Malaysia

Several other photographers captured how kids around the world fulfill their basic needs and the results moved millions of hearts. Gabriele Galimberti, an Italian photographer, illustrated kids with their toys; Gregg Segal captured kids’ food for one week; James Mollison portrayed where kids sleep.

Image Credits: Instagram