Jenny Rush

Born in Taihape some time ago, Jenny married in Wellington and has three daughters, 3 granddaughters and a great grand-daughter as well as 5 step grandsons and 3 step great grandchildren.

In 1986 Jenny decided to spend two years working in Australia, wanting to move from market research to social research.  After graduating from Macquarie University with a degree in Behavioural Sciences she went on to develop Rush Social Research, focusing on social research for the Commonwealth Government.  In 2006 she was asked to go to Papua New Guinea for 5 months to assist a then AusAId (now Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade – DFAT) development aid program.  Five months became 8 years, with several post-retirement consultancies between 2014 and 2020, when Covid 19 intervened.

In 2021 and 2022 Jenny spent several months in Tauranga during Covid lockdowns, and during that time, began planning to build in Pyes Pa.  In late November 2023 Jenny moved home to New Zealand and Pyes Pa.

Following on:

Jenny’s talk will speak about the changes funded projects have made to communities and to women in particular. She will give an overview of PNG as experienced by her, the respect and love she now has for a country that often has a negative profile and for the people she worked with and met. We will learn of the many interesting experiences she had and stories heard, both 'sad and glad’ and be introduced to two women who individually have made and are still making a difference to those less fortunate than us.