By Uche Mbah
Kaylen Ward, a Los Angeles Model, has raised more than thousands of dollars for the victims of the Australian fires by sending her nude pictures to anyone who can donate ten dollars to fire victims and send her proof of the donation on Instagram and twitter. At the last count, she has raised more than $700,000 and complained that she is still going through thousands of payments tweets and sending them her nudes.
Ward has been described in the social media as the “Naked Philanthropist”, with opinion divided on whether she was right to raise funds through such unconventional means. Already, Instagram has pulled down her post on grounds that it violated their code of decency.
Australia has been facing wildfires for months, causing evacuations and so much smoke related ailments. At the last count, officials pegged the figures of those that lost their lives as 25, with millions of animals killed by the raging inferno.
Officials have been arresting some people alleged to be helping to set the forests on fire. Many American Celebrities keyed into the relief process, Including Pink and Celeste Barber. Pink donated $500,000 for the cause. But the most controversial donations came from Ward, who advertised on her twitter page, asking that anyone who donates $10 to the victims will receive a DM of her nude pictures.
So far she has kept her words.
“I am sending nudes to every person who donates at least $10 to any one of these fundraisers for the wildfires in Australia”, she tweeted. “Every $10 you donate=one nude picture from me to your DM. You must send me Confirmation that you donated”.
With this, an avalanche of tweets hit her account, which she tries to comply with her own side of the bargain. She raised $100,000 within 24 hours. And the donations does not seem to peter out in a hurry.
“Literally, it is incredible how many people responded to my tweets and donations, and donations, and donations”, she said in a video broadcast. “Thank you so much. It is unbelievable”. She confessed she does not know how much it is going to be at the end.
While some applaud her philanthropy, many see her method as wrong and unconventional.
