Ohope grandmother bringing peace by degrees

SERVING THE COMMUNITY: Esther Tumama Cowley-Malcolm believes a strong community ethos passed down from her parents is the common thread in most of her roles.

Ohope's Esther Tumama Cowley-Malcolm has become the first student to graduate with a PhD from Victoria University of Wellington's Pacific Studies programme.

The 60-year-old grandmother of one doesn't take the achievement lightly.

"I feel humbled and privileged," Esther said. "It's an honour and for me it feels appropriate being an older student. I guess that's what elders do - lead. I feel like I'm leading the way for others."

Esther's doctoral research is an in-depth exploration of Samoan parents' perceptions of, and responses to, aggressive behaviour in young children and the usefulness of an intervention tool named Play Nicely.

Esther says her doctoral study was a culmination of the different areas she has worked in over the course of her career - she started as a nurse, then became a teacher, worked on prisoner education and was a researcher in a university-based Pacific longitudinal study.

Although she has had a number of career shifts, Esther says a common thread in all her roles is an emphasis on serving the community and, in particular, children. "My parents migrated to New Zealand in the 1950s and settled in Tokora," Esther said. "They had a very stong service ethos and it was an environment in which I grew up in.

"There is a Samoan quote that says the way to leadership is through service and I believe it. I am also a Quaker so a lot of the peace things I become immersed in stem from my Quaker beliefs."

Last year Esther said she was fortunate enough to be doing voluntary work in Kenya with Aids orphans. She also facilitates an alternatives to violence workshop which is about creating peaceful pathways in familes and communities - a workshop that is held in 55 countries throughout the world.

"While in Kenya I co-facilitated a workshop there and, just two weeks ago, we held the first workshop in Whakatane after securing funding from Nova Energy.

She said doing her PhD was an extension of her work 'of service' to a community she was raised in. "It was a way I could give back and make a contribution."

Esther's research took her back to her hometown of Tokoroa, where she conducted on-going interviews with 18 Samoan parents of children aged 1 to 3 years old.

As part of the study, parents were shown the CD Play Nicely which is a conflict resolution tool that guides parents and others working with young children through strategies and techniques for managing aggressive behaviour.

Parents were interviewed before and after Play Nicely was used and, according to Esther, the findings of her study suggest they responded positively to the tool and came away with a greater understanding of their children's behaviour and the impact their responses had on their children.

The findings suggest that for many of the parents in the study, their perceptions of aggressive behaviour in their children and their response to it are influenced by a mix of cultural values and beliefs from their Samoan heritage and their New Zealand upbringing.

Esther is a strong believer in the lessons Play Nicely teaches because they are based on sound research evidence and says she has learnt a lot herself through all her university studies, including her PhD.

"I think I've been an effective mother to my son and daughter but knowing what I know now I think I can be an even better grandmother."

With the help of her cousin and former Bro' Town animator, Ali Cowley, Esther is now considering developing Play Nicely into an interactive app aimed at young, tech-savvy Pacific parents.

After completing a PhD most people would take a break but not Esther - she is also finishing a post graduate diploma in management of not-for-profit organisations.