Chisomo Phiri

I think that my choice to work on this campaign relates to part of the culture with which I grew up. In African culture you grow up as an extended family and I think this is in part what motivated me to do the course I did – development studies.

When I started working after it was disheartening to see how communities were suffering despite there being a huge mining company in front of them. I’m very passionate about Publish What You Pay because people still don’t have access to information. Despite having all these policies and all these laws in our country, there is still a big gap for communities to cross.

My very first job was actually working in a supermarket. You know, when someone is working in a supermarket the salary is very minimal. And for someone like me who came from a good family, to look at someone receiving that salary, and renting a house, taking care of their family, bringing their children to school – I think for me that was the moment where I got the passion to work for the less-privileged.