Renowned photographers have donated prints of their work for an online benefit in aid of Anton Hammerl's children. Hammerl, a South African photographer who lived in the UK, was killed in April in Libya.

David Burnett, Kenneth Jarecke, João Silva, Bruno Stevens, Q. Sakamaki, Greg Marinovich, Andrew Testa, João Pina, Matt Black, Teun Voeten, Teru Kuwayama, Leonie Marinovich and Jody MacDonald are among the photographers to have donated prints for the online benefit.

The money raised will be used for Hammerl's children's future education. It is supported by Reporters Without Borders, as well as PhotoShelter, Emphas.is, The Steven Vincent Foundation, digitaltechparis.com, Human Rights Watch and the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Gaddafi's forces shot Hammerl "in an extremely remote location in the Libyan desert" on 05 April. The crime was witnessed by American journalists Clare Morgana Gillis and James Foley, who were with Hammerl and were abducted by pro-Gaddafi loyalists following the shooting. For weeks, the Libyan authorities had assured their South African counterparts that Hammerl was alive and being detained in an undisclosed location.

However, when Gillis and Foley were released, they told Hammerl's family they had seen the photojournalist get shot and that it was highly unlikely that he had survived his injuries. His remains have yet to be located and returned to his family.

"We're hoping to get people from all over the world to purchase these amazing prints. It will be like a central gallery showcasing some of the finest photography in the world. The ‘gift' of the prints from these wonderful photographers is truly a way of honouring Anton by his colleagues in the field," says Gillis.

Photographer David Brabyn, another member of the volunteer team who was instrumental in organising the online benefit, adds: "Everyone has worked tirelessly to get this project on the road - from the talented photographers who are donating their works, right down to web-based companies such as Emphas.is and PhotoShelter, who advised us, donated the account and waived transaction fees."

The launch of the fundraising initiative comes just days before a London memorial at St Bride's Church on Fleet Street. The ceremony will take place on 08 September.

For more information, visit www.friendsofanton.org.