João Silva, 44, a South African photographer on contract with The New York Times, stepped on a mine while accompanying American soldiers patrolling an area near the town of Arghandab in southern Afghanistan on October 23rd, 2010. Despite immediate help from medics, both his legs were lost below the knees.

João Silva made his name while covering the violent birth pangs of a democratic South Africa. He was a member of the Bang-Bang Club, a group of photographers who documented the Hostel War during the last days of Apartheid. Since he has covered the major conflicts of our time and won numerous awards.

João stumbled upon his career when he accompanied a friend on a photo shoot in the 1980s and was instantly hooked. A contract photographer for The Times since 2000, he is also an avid motorcyclist, a husband to Viv and a father to two young children, Isabel and Gabriel.

Update – October 29th 2010: João is admitted to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC.

Since news of João’s injury came out, we – his close friends Leonie and Greg Marinovich – have been inundated with requests by people who would like to support him.

We have set up a fund for donations that is managed by Hekaya Digital Storytelling, a registered non-profit organization subject to stringent accounting requirements. The accounting of the funds raised will be made available.

The funds will assist him and his family as he goes through rehabilitation, adjusts to a new life without legs and starts a new career line. We have little doubt he will continue photographing but he will certainly not be able to go to war zones. We estimate he will not be able to work for about 2 years.

The New York Times is guaranteeing the payment of the medical bills. And we are still determining what insurance will or will not pay for. But in any event 40 years of life without legs is a long time and something not easily adjusted to.

Should João later feel that your generosity would be welcomed elsewhere, we will donate the funds to a charity of his choice.

A website was set up by João Silva’s friends Leonie and Greg Marinovich where you can buy a print of João’s pictures. All proceeds will go to João.
Michel Puech