Quality journalism is important; producing it should not come at the expense of a journalist’s health and safety. Unfortunately, it often does.

I have won three awards for my work in conflict and post-conflict zones. I have followed stories and wars for over a decade in some places, continuing to go back and listening to those on the ground while recording history as it happens – always on my own initiative and never with expenses paid by publications. I have been proven right, for better and for worse, in many cases about situations and geopolitical trends that others initially denied.

I have extensive experience establishing information networks within unstable environments. Producing in-depth reporting from these places has required building trust with local communities and security forces and understanding local tribal and societal norms. My reporting has been cited in books, military reports, government publications, and elsewhere.

I continue to do what I can, when I can, and where I can. Living and reporting costs have however risen sharply in recent years, while what I and many others get per article has not; often, what we get paid has plunged. We have bills to pay and need relatively safe places to sleep and food to eat; working two or three jobs at the same time prevents us from doing our work as well as it needs to be done.

I have borrowed mattresses on floors in many countries for extended periods despite back injuries, worn down shoes to the point of getting stress fractures, put off getting dental treatment for years, and cut countless other corners that have negatively affected my health and life.

Should anyone feel like helping to lighten this burden and help me continue to do work that I believe is important,I would be tremendously grateful for a gift of support.

Thank you.