Rewa Tomlinson
Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Geography
Studying towards a Master of Arts in Geography
Rewa’s interest in human geography has taken her to a small community in Nicaragua, Central America to research the issues surrounding aid donations after disasters, and the ongoing effects of aid dependence in poor communities.
Rewa’s research is centred in El Mirador, a small community which was constructed for people who lost their homes and livelihoods after Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Rewa lived in Nicaragua for six weeks to learn about the community.
‘The best part of my research is the ability to travel to a foreign country and to live with a family and really immerse myself in the culture. I get to see the parts of the countries that most tourists would never see, as I am most often researching people who are living in poverty on the outskirts of society.’
‘I lived with a local Nicaraguan family learning about their customs and culture. This included learning to shower every day with only a bucket of cold water, eating rice and beans up to three times a day, and learning to hand wash all of my clothes with only a bar of soap, a bucket of water, and some good old-fashioned elbow grease.’
‘It involves getting out into the community and talking with community members. My work is very hands on, exciting, and challenging.’
Rewa’s research will become part of a collection of resources held buy both the University of Canterbury and NZAID. Thus, it is her hope that her research will directly contribute to future development planning projects.
‘One of the most pressing concerns relating to aid donation is how to effectively meet the immediate needs of affected communities while not creating a culture of dependence in the long term. One of the primary issues of concern is that many communities become dependant on aid providers (for answers and capital) rather than coming together as a community to find solutions. This also means in the longer term communities’ social networks are inefficient to cope with change; which leads to fighting, violence, and cyclical poverty.’
‘Essentially development is about increasing the capacity of a community. Eventually aid money and resources will dry up and at that stage a community needs to be able to stand on its own two feet. This scenario is exemplified in the case of El Mirador where a community was created from people of all different walks of life, with the only common factor being that they were all victims of a disaster. After almost eight years the community lacks social cohesion and community members are at times poorly integrated.’
‘My project aim is to assess to what level community development has occurred and how and why development projects have not lead to this community reaching a sufficient level of community cohesion.’
This is not the first time that Rewa has lived in Central America. During her honours year in 2004 she spent five weeks in the town of Tres Rios, Costa Rica. Here Rewa conducted interviews about women’s employment and social welfare.
‘For me this research trip was a return to a community I had lived with on an AFS student exchange in Year 12, and my positive research experience inspired me to return to the region this year to continue my research in Nicaragua.’
Rewa has found the value of being as open as possible and encourages others to do the same.
‘In my research I often find situations where customs or practises differ from what I am used to and some may be totally against what I believe in. It’s important at these times to remember that you are in a country to observe as part of the research process. Be open to this and you will find that you enjoy conducting research much more.’
Rewa came to UC after completing her BA (Hons) at Victoria University and found the support at UC to be very helpful.
‘I was motivated to study my master’s at Canterbury because of its excellent reputation. The Geography Department is considered to be one of the top research departments in the country.’
‘Entering a new university at postgraduate level can often be difficult especially as having a good relationship with your supervisor is an integral part of the research process. I really enjoyed coming straight into the Canterbury system and feeling like I had been there for years. It is a very supportive environment, and the resources available to students through Student Services really help new students to adapt.’
Rewa hopes her research will encourage others to consider studying development studies and give them some idea about the types of research that can be looked at within the discipline.
After completion of her master’s, Rewa plans to continue researching in the field of development, possibly for a development agency or non-governmental organisation.