Health workers suit up for Ebola duty in Monrovia, Liberia. John W. Poole/NPR hide caption

Maria Carmen Castro, 46, of Lima, Peru, is a survivor of MDR-TB — multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Partners In Health treated her and loaned her money to open a small store. "Because of my TB and thanks to God and Partners In Health, now I have my own business," she says. Jason Beaubien/NPR hide caption

An African elephant in Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park is a draw for tourists. Martin Bureau/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

Vice President Joe Biden was criticized for coming up from behind and getting too close to Stephanie Carter at her husband's swearing-in ceremony as secretary of defense. Evan Vucci/AP hide caption

Wilbur Sargunaraj tours the backwaters of Kerala, India. Wilbur Sargunaraj hide caption

David Hermlin is a singer, dancer, musician and songwriter — oh, and a global activist, too. Sample lyric: "I will fight for my dream, and I will never give up." Courtesy of David Hermlin hide caption

You want that soda bottle. But it may not be because you crave soda. It might just be that you love the idea of wrapping your fingers around its enticing shape. Ariel Zambelich/NPR hide caption

Random violence in Syria makes it a dangerous place for aid workers. This month, members of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent transported Syrians from a rebel area to a part of Aleppo controlled by the Assad regime. Baraa Al-Halabi/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

If this farm animal, featured in the Sprint Super Bowl ad, could talk, it would say: "Baaaaaad news for all the people who think I'm a goat. I'm really a sheep!" via Youtube hide caption

They're members of the global-minded teens club: (left to right) Toluwanimi Sola-Adeyemi of Lagos, Chloe McGill of Seattle and Emine Arcasoy of Chapel Hill. Courtesy of Tolu Sola-Adeyemi, Chloe McGill and Emine Arcasoy. hide caption

Michael Elliott poses with a group of children during a trip to Segou, Mali. One reason for his optimistic outlook is the dramatic drop in deaths of children under age 5. Courtesy of ONE hide caption

Kimani Maruge became a first-grader at age 84. The Google doodle shows him in his school uniform. Courtesy of Google hide caption

The question of what to call "the developing world" is a developing debate. Jing Wei for NPR hide caption

These Pakistani children go to a makeshift school in a clay house, located in a poor neighborhood on the outskirts of Islamabad. Muhammed Muheisen/AP hide caption

Wilbur Sargunaraj visits a small house with a thatched roof, a medium-sized house and a "gigantic mansion" in his father's village. Produced by Wilbur Sargunaraj for NPR, John W. Poole and Ben de la Cruz/NPR. hide caption