Photos for philanthropy

WHEN Nadia Sanowar first picked up a camera in 2008 she knew that was what she wanted to spend her life doing.

Soon, what began as a hobby morphed into an online business in 2012.

The TT-born photographer, who moved to the Netherlands in 1999, began selling her photos in TT in 2015, using local firms to print her photos on canvas and block mounts.

It's also developed into a Facebook page called Trinbago Photography and Philanthropy, set up on January 18, which so far has 398 followers.

But there is a wider purpose to Trinbago Photography and Philanthropy, and that is to help those less fortunate. Wanting to do this comes from Sanowar’s background of giving.

In her biographical details, Sanowar said when she started selling prints of her photos in Trinidad via Facebook and local markets, "At the same time, I decided that I would donate 20 per cent of my profits to my family's non-profit charitable organisation, Sponsoring Wings of Hope, of which I am also a director. This organisation is an initiative of the family of the late Joseph and Khairoon Charles and was founded by their daughter, Jenniffa Suratsingh in 2015.” Suratsingh is the youngest sister of Sanowar's late mother Aloma.

Sponsoring Wings of Hope, started in June 2015, identifies “impoverished individuals in TT and find people willing to assist in improving the quality of their lives...caring benefactors who are willing to become sponsors of these needy children.”

The money is used to provide monthly hampers, school stationery, uniforms and books, and to pay for lessons and transport for the sponsored children.

The information that Sanowar sent Sunday Newsday on Sponsoring Wings of Hope also said, “There is a one-to-one relationship between sponsor and child, although, in certain cases, two people may co-sponsor a child.”

Although the organisation has mainly sponsored underprivileged children and disabled individuals, its intention is to also sponsor underprivileged geriatrics.

It also identifies people who wish to assist organisations that look after neglected and abused animals.

The organisation has assisted 53 children so far, with 11 being removed from the list because their circumstances have improved.

Sanowar, who has been donating 20 per cent of her profit from the sale of her own photos to Sponsoring Wings of Hope, developed her giving spirit from her mother, who she said, “was always generous, especially to those in need.”

Although Sanowar has not worked for the past ten years for health reasons, she has been supporting a child through Sponsoring Wings of Hope for the last three years and has given $5,210.40 to the organisation through the sale of her photos.

Last December, she visited some of the underprivileged families helped through the organisation and saw “how much poverty there is throughout the country.”

“Even though I have been sponsoring a child through this organisation for the past three years, and I also give 20 per cent of my profits from the sale of my photos to Sponsoring Wings of Hope, I realised this is like a drop in the ocean,” she said in e-mailed responses.

This got her thinking about what she could do to help and that was how she came up with Trinbago Photography and Philanthropy, with the goal of finding other photographers who might want to donate to charity. Also, she felt starting her own organisation is a way to follow in her mother’s footsteps.

So far 11 other photographers have joined Trinbago Photography and Philanthropy. She chooses them by seeking out fine-art photos of TT on social media, contacting the photographers she feels meet the rules and conditions and asking if they wish to be part of her venture. Among them are Sanjiv Samaroo, Richard Lakhan Photography, Chris Anderson Photography, Tevin Mills, Kevin Sammy and Sharon Sanowar.

All photos must be taken in TT and the images must meet the standard set out in the rules and conditions of the group.

The photographer must commit to donating a percentage of their profits to a charitable organisation and/or charitable causes in TT (the photographer chooses the percentage of profit they would like to donate and to which charity). The group also welcomes photographers from all over the world.

It has had no sales or donations as yet, but Sanowar hopes to advertise it through social media platforms.

There are several things Sanowar hopes to achieve through the group, among them the promotion of the beauty of TT through photography and making Trinbago Photography and Philanthropy the one-stop online shop for TT fine-art photos.

She added that the responses from photographers have been positive, and hopes maybe Trinbago Photography and Philanthropy can be used as a model for others to follow, where local artisans can create online groups for local art, and/or handicraft items, and can commit to give back some of their profits to those who need financial help.