Tian Xiaomei, 24, has a family of 4 and 10 acres of drougthy land. She has no harvest in 2005 and lives on borrowing from her mother and relatives, Ningxia [China.org.cn]

Yu Quanxing has traveled thousands of miles across 11 provinces to interview about 420 mothers living in poverty. His black-and-white pictures of them drew attention to the destitution in the west of China. Yu said he felt their determination and hope for a better life beneath the tears. (Curator: Zeng Huang)