We can hardly believe a year has gone by since the Gemfields Foundation was born. The charitable arm of Gemfields, the Foundation was established last January to scale up Gemfields’ activations in sub-Saharan Africa, harnessing the knowledge acquired during over a decade of operations in the area and really making good on our commitment to ensure that the value of coloured gemstones comes back to benefit people in the local communities surrounding the mines.
Unlike many foundations, the Gemfields Foundation, which is UK-registered, is able to funnel 100% of the donations it receives directly towards projects on the ground, meaning every contribution is able to go a lot farther. This is down to the fact that Gemfields and its subsidiaries absorbs all overhead, administrative and travel costs.
Thanks to the immense generosity of donors, and our amazing partners in the jewellery and media worlds, the first year of the Foundation has been productive.
The highlight from the last year was re-building a brand-new primary school in rural Madagascar to educate 195 children, as well as providing them with hot food and clean water. This project was completed with help from students’ parents and local villagers and has already transformed the community. The Foundation was also able to come to the aid of those displaced by the violence in the Cabo Delgado area of Mozambique – providing 4,000 solar lamps to those living in makeshift camps, providing a vital light source. A new fish farming project in Zambia and computer lab in Mozambique are next on the cards for 2022, as well as fundraising for conservation projects, to protect Africa’s majestic natural habitats and the wildlife who inhabit them.
As we look back on our first year, we feel great pride in what has been achieved and look forward to carrying our commitment to giving back to the people of Africa into the years ahead.