Elizabeth Missokia is the Executive Director of HakiElimu, and organisation working to create an open, just and democratic Tanzania, where all people enjoy the right to education that promotes equity, creativity and critical thinking.

WATCH her discuss why aid transparency is important for CSOs, and why donors should publish what they fund.

READ her story of how better aid information has helped in Tanzania:

“One of the activities that we do is social accountability monitoring, and we’ve trained citizens to do simple monitoring and use that information to demand change. In some areas, citizens have been able to use that information to monitor development projects to unlock funds, and also address issues of corruption.

“In an area of Tanzania where we held this training, citizens realised there was money that had been allocated to build a clinic and classrooms. But although the money had been ‘spent’, the classrooms had not been built, and the clinic was only half-built. This was a donor funded programme. We found how much money was allocated to that programme, and compared it to the cost of that construction activity.

“In the end, citizens were able to reveal corruption – and the government officials involved at the village level – to the regional and district officials. The money was returned, and the clinic was finished. This is how powerful information can be. Donors were not even aware what had happened, but the citizens worked it out.a donor-funded programme. We found out who was funding that programme, and were able to get information from the district authority to find out how much money was allocated to that programme, and the cost of that construction activity.

“The community also became more empowered and now they are more active in demanded for information – especially budget information. And they know how to follow up. They can follow the money.”