Name: Veronica Tikka
Studies: Master's Programme in Crisis Management and Peacebuilding
Tell us something about your field study
With an MFS scholarship, I had the opportunity to conduct a field study while working on my Master’s Thesis in Peace and Conflict Studies. I chose to investigate the conflict in Mozambique and was mostly in the capital, Maputo, for ten weeks in the spring of 2019. I conducted 16 qualitative interviews with people from political parties, media, research institutes, and NGOs.
Why did you want to do an MFS?
I wanted to gain knowledge and perspectives from another part of the world, challenge myself, and discover a new place. I had never been to the African continent, and since I want to work with global questions, I wanted to develop a more global perspective, while also being able to immerse myself in a country and a conflict. This made me even more curious, while at the same time preparing me for work in areas such as development aid and conflict analysis. Additionally, I feel it is important to focus on local knowledge and the local context.
What are some of your takeaways from this experience?
I am grateful and proud of all the knowledge and experience, all the memories and contacts that this trip has given me. Having the opportunity to be on the ground in Mozambique, speaking with those who are directly and indirectly affected, and experiencing the context in which everything unfolds has been invaluable to my understanding and for my sense of being able to contribute when I can see how happy people are to be acknowledged. I have learnt an incredible amount both in my field and about what life can be like on the other side of the world, much of which I could not have understood through a computer screen. For example, by seeing extreme poverty but also all the development that is going on.
Much of it, especially away from the power centre, looks like the reports from the aid agencies. Women carrying children on their backs and firewood or baskets of mussels, fruit or water on their heads, small houses made of local materials, and overcrowded buses and flatbed trucks, cashew nuts hanging in bags from trees and small markets with fruits, nuts, clothing and so on. But what we do not always get to see is the bright blue water, the beautiful beaches and nature, the modern buildings, restaurants and shopping centres, and the tourists who seem to be increasing in number.
What were the main challenges?
What I found most difficult was how to prepare and what to take with me. I read a lot, and a lot of it was negative…, but I did not encounter any mishaps. I did not speak Portuguese, but it still went well because I got help with translation when needed, mainly from a taxi driver. Sometimes it took time to get a response from the interviewees, but sometimes they responded quickly with suggestions to meet on the same day.
Do you have any practical tips for other students thinking about doing an MFS?
Contact the Swedish embassy in the country you intend to travel to. They helped me with contacts and information.
If you find a good driver, it can be an advantage to stick with that person as you will always have someone to call and they may also be able to help in other situations if you establish a good relationship.
Last, but not least, take advantage of the opportunity. I do not regret for a second that I went to Mozambique. Everything went better than expected, both in terms of my work and during the stay as a whole.
