Watts of Love – Philippines Disaster Relief With Kevin Kuster
Our wonderful columnist Kevin Kuster (previously Senior Photo Editor for Playboy magazine) is working with the non-profit @watts_of_love. They distributed 1000 solar LED lights to Ilin Island last February to the poorest of the poor and the effects were life changing. Ilin Island has never had any electricity, running water or medical assistance. The 35,000 islanders have been all but forgotten and struggle to survive every day.
They have just received word that much of the Ilin island and its neighboring islands have been crushed by typhoon #hayian and #yolanda. Although they don’t have all details yet, we do know that almost every bamboo hut on Ilin has been completely destroyed. Thousands of families are completely without shelter and most are trying to take refuge in a local church.
It is their goal to provide 10,000 solar LED lights to devastated families in three locations (Ilin, Seminara and Ambulong Islands – Occidental Mindoro, Philippines) . These lights provide safety, the ability charge to cell phones and radios for emergency communication, and most importantly to continue rebuilding their homes and community after the sun goes down.
If you would like/are able to consider donating $40 to fund a disaster relief solar light and power kit today, then please go here www.wattsoflove.org.
Joanne Carter
Joanne Carter is a British photography journalist, editor, curator, and the founder of *TheAppWhisperer.com*, one of the world’s leading platforms dedicated to mobile photography and art. Since its launch in 2009, TheAppWhisperer has become an international hub for artists of all levels to discover, learn, exhibit, and engage with contemporary photographic practice.Built on principles of inclusivity, accessibility, and artistic excellence, Joanne has spent almost two decades championing mobile photography as a serious artistic medium. Through interviews, critical essays, exhibitions, competitions, and education, she has helped shape and document the evolution of mobile art on a global scale.Her work has taken her internationally, lecturing on photography and mobile art at institutions and events including the Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea, alongside appearances in the UK and Europe. She has served as a juror for international photography and mobile art awards across Portugal, Canada, the United States, South Korea, Italy, and the UK.Joanne is also the founder of *TheAppWhispererPrintSales.com*, one of the first online galleries dedicated exclusively to collectible mobile art, connecting artists with collectors across Europe, the United States, and Asia.Before founding TheAppWhisperer, Joanne worked extensively in print journalism and photographic publishing, including roles at a paparazzi photo agency and as deputy editor of a leading photography magazine. Her freelance journalism, criticism, and commentary have been published widely in both the UK and the US, with bylines in *The Times*, *The Sunday Times*, *The Guardian*, *Popular Photography*, *NikonPro*, *DPReview*, *Which?*, *Vogue Italia*, *LensCulture*, the *BBC*, and more recently, the *Financial Times*, where her published letters on photography continue to contribute to wider conversations around the medium.Alongside her editorial and curatorial work, Joanne’s own photographic practice has been exhibited internationally across the UK, Europe, South Korea, and the United States. Her work increasingly explores themes of grief, loss, death, memory, and the body.Her current research interests centre on grief, death, and poverty, with forthcoming postgraduate study leading towards doctoral research in these areas.Joanne is currently developing new long-form writing and photographic projects and is available for commissions, editorial projects, speaking engagements, and collaborations.Contact: joannetheappwhisperer@gmail.com)
One Comment
Kevin
Thanks again for your support and willingness to help this hit so hard and devastated by the Super Typhoon Haiyan.