Arif Shafi was a freelance journalist in Pakistan, a difficult and dangerous job. He had taken assignments in remote areas to report on refugee life, deforestation, corruption in trade, and other topics along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border where he lived.
April 29, on the way to an assignment, he stopped to buy a newspaper near Hayatabad, Peshawar. As he stood at the newsstand, a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden motorbike into a nearby police van, killing 10 people and injuring more than 60. Arif, 37, was among the dead.
Arif Shafi was known as a promising and hardworking journalist among colleagues and friends. They admired his quiet dedication to the profession and to his family. Arif was excited about a new job as an editor in Kabul that he was to start on May 1.
You can read some of his many articles via his blogs, here and here. His last story was published by UPI, on young voters.
He leaves behind a widow and three children: son Khizar, 7, and daughters Maleeha, 6 and Yusra, 4.
What We Need
As a freelancer, Arif had no life insurance or death benefit from a company. His wife and children will be dependent on relatives.
This fund will pay for the basic expenses to keep the children in school and cared for during the difficult first year after losing Arif.
Other Ways You Can Help
Even if you can’t contribute, you can still help.
Get the word out - especially to journalists and news outlets who depend on freelancers like Arif working in conflict zones. Indiegogo has easy share tools for all your social media - and email too.
People who watch news from conflict zones need to be aware of the risks that journalists take every day. When they want better coverage to stay informed, they also need to understand the costs of that coverage.