From what I've read in the past,
It's intermediated (sort of?) like Kiva. Everyone an end-user sees is already promised funding by Watsi. The "pick a person" is sort of a feel-good, and perhaps a way for Watsi to refine their process for choosing "fundable" candidates.
To me, the photos are problematic: They increase funding, no doubt, but for all the wrong reasons. Donors shouldn't care about patient photos, except as part of some general evidence to reassure users that Watsi is not running or becoming the victim of a scam.
One of our goals is to facilitate an emotional connection between donors and patients. If good photos help us raise more money faster, then we may even have a moral obligation to use photos. We need donors to trust us, so yes, the photos are also there to reassure them that there is a person on the other side of the transaction.
Can you imagine any crowdfunding site out there, especially Watsi, without photos?
To me, the photos are problematic: They increase funding, no doubt, but for all the wrong reasons. Donors shouldn't care about patient photos, except as part of some general evidence to reassure users that Watsi is not running or becoming the victim of a scam.