Former Onslow kids inspire mum’s charity trip

A former Onslow resident has been spurred on by her nine-year-old daughter to travel abroad for a leadership program raising funds for poverty-focused charity.

Jemma Rigg is one of 20 Australian women selected who will take part in The Hunger Project’s Business Chicks leadership program in Uttarakhand, India, in 2019.

Ms Rigg said her daughter had been a key motivator in her application.

“My daughter was telling me she wanted to help homeless people and I started questioning how I was doing that myself,” she said.

“I saw the program and thought it was a good time in my life to go on a journey and appreciate what we have here, help others, and inspire others to help out.”

Ms Rigg has six months of fundraising and planning ahead of her trip in February next year.

Aside from her daughter leading her to charitable causes, Ms Rigg said her son had also encouraged her to play music with him.

“That has been fun,” she said.

“It has been a good bonding journey for us,” she said. “It’s nice to be inspired by a child.

“You stop thinking that way at some point and you get caught up in your own life, but they can see the bigger picture.”

As far as the move from Onslow to Perth has gone, Ms Rigg said the children missed the freedom of the coastal Pilbara town, but there was plenty to keep them entertained in the big smoke.

The Hunger Project works on funding and implementing sustainable, women-focused plans in an effort to alleviate hunger around the world by 2030.