Support Joao Silva

New York Times photographer Joao Silva was badly injured by a mine in southern Afghanistan on 23 October and had to have both legs amputated above the knee. He is still fighting for his life in a Washington DC hospital. Silva was used to working in difficult places. Along with Kevin Carter, Ken Oosterbroek and Greg Marinovich, he was a member of a group of photographers called the Bang Bang Club that covered South Africa from Nelson Mandela’s release until the 1994 elections, then Sudan, the Balkans, Central Asia, Russia, the Middle East and Afghanistan. A talented photographer, he won many prizes including two World Press Photo Awards. Appreciated by all who know him for his generosity and unflagging humanism, Silva accomplished a widely respected body of work: http://www.joaosilva.co.za/ The New York Times is covering his medical bills and is providing him with a great deal of assistance but his friends decided to launch a solidarity appeal to help him and his family deal with this terrible situation. Reporters Without Borders supports this initiative. To support Joao Silva and his family: http://joaosilva.photoshelter.com/