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Gem Legacy Campus

Building Futures from the Ground Up

The Gem Legacy Campus marks a defining step forward for education and opportunity in East Africa’s gem-mining communities. For years, Gem Legacy has supported students through primary school, secondary school, vocational programs, and college scholarships. As these efforts expanded, so did the need for a unified place where learning, mentorship, and support could come together.

The Campus fulfills that need. It creates a dedicated environment where students can gain skills, live safely, and move confidently toward meaningful careers. Our goal is not simply to send them to school, but to mold and shape them into successful participants in their chosen field.

Gem Legacy campus showing the buildings and the parking.

Why the Campus Matters

Right now, scholarship students live in dorms and apartments spread across the area. This arrangement works, but it’s expensive and makes it difficult to provide consistent support and often leaves students to cook for themselves. A central campus brings everyone together in one place, creating a stable learning environment, more efficient use of resources, and meaningful community.

The Campus will strengthen every stage of the education-to-career journey. It reduces barriers for students who have been additionally needing to cook and clean, improves oversight and stewardship of programs, and ensures that our investment into each student launches them successfully into careers.

This is a place designed for students to focus, grow, and prepare for their future with confidence.

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What the Campus Will Provide

Gem Faceting School

A dedicated center for gemstone faceting, gemology, and professional skills training. Students will learn in modern classrooms and hands-on labs led by expert instructors.

Student Housing

Safe, clean, comfortable dormitories that enable students from all programs to participate fully in training no matter where or what they study. Open to all scholarship students, campus housing will remove one of the greatest obstacles to continued education.

Learning & Community Spaces

Study rooms, communal dining, and gathering areas that create a true educational community — a place where students can collaborate, rest, and stay focused. These spaces will be leveraged for career mentoring, tutoring, study groups, interview preparation, and job fairs.

Guidance & Support Services

Structured mentorship and academic support help students stay on track and successfully transition into stable careers. Each element reflects what students and communities have consistently voiced as essential to long-term success. We’re investing in the entire person, not just academically.

A Smart Investment in Sustainable Impact

In its current layout and program model, the Campus will operate at around $60,000 annually, supporting far more students each year while delivering housing, training, and wraparound support in one location. This approach strengthens program quality, increases capacity, and provides a reliable foundation for future growth.

  • For students, it means stable access to education and skills.
  • For communities, it means a new generation of trained professionals.
  • For donors and partners, it represents a high-impact, efficient model with lasting results.
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Campus Development Plan

  • Phase 1: Land acquisition, security infrastructure, and initial site preparation.
  • Phase 2: Construction of the vocational training school and administrative offices.
  • Phase 3: Dormitories, kitchen and dining facilities, and shared living spaces, offering housing for more than sixty students.

Each phase brings the campus closer to serving as a hub for opportunity across the region.

Gem Legacy Campus showing the buildings and the parking.

Ways to Support the Campus Vision

Fund Essential Infrastructure

Contribute to bedding, study furniture, equipment, or dining facilities that support daily life for students.

Sustain Annual Operations

Help ensure students have the resources they need from the moment they arrive until they graduate. Every contribution strengthens the long-term impact of the campus and directly supports day-to-day student success.

Naming Opportunities

Every dorm room has been sponsored thanks to incredible donor support. Other impactful naming opportunities are still available, including the laundry facilities, kitchen and pantry, dining hall, and more.
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A Foundation for Generations

The Gem Legacy Campus creates a place where learning, opportunity, and community can truly take root. It expands access to vocational training, supports students pursuing higher education, and provides the stability they need to step into brighter futures.

Gem Faceting School

increased annual
student capacity
0 %

College Scholarships

increased annual
student capacity
0 %
student teacher ratio icon 8:1 3:1

student teacher ratio

expanded equipment icon

expanded equipment

expanded class offerings icon

expanded class offerings

improved nutrition and availability of food

improved nutrition and availability of food

stable, safe, clean environment

stable, safe, clean environment

housing during internships

housing during internship

Campus Donors

Dorm Room Sponsors

Lester Martin Jewelers (1)
Parle Jewelry Designs (3)
Leigh Maxwell Jewelry (2)
LFR Studios (2)
The King's Jewelers (1)

Greenwich St. Jewelers (2)
Steve Quick Jeweler (2)
Caleb B Quashen International (1)
Debra Navarro & Co. (1)
ANZA Gems (10)

Campus Supervisor Quarters

JCK Industry Fund

Bathroom and Shower Facilities

JCK Industry Roger Dery Gem Design

Campus FAQs

Why will the Campus be in Tanzania?

The Campus is located in Arusha, Tanzania, where Gem Legacy has the strongest network of partners and resources to support our students. Arusha is also widely known as the gem center of East Africa, making it an ideal home for training in gemology, faceting, and related career paths.

The Campus strengthens and expands both the College Scholarship and Gem Faceting programs by bringing training, housing, and support into one place. Centralizing these services increases the impact on each student and improves the long-term value of every dollar invested, allowing Gem Legacy to support more students with greater consistency and stability.
Gem Legacy will rely on donor support to operate the Campus, including the cost of housing, instruction, and student support for those in higher-education and vocational training programs.
Sustainability is central to the Campus design. Solar panels will replace traditional generators, and rainwater harvesting will supplement purchased water. Together, these systems reduce environmental impact and help keep ongoing costs down.
In Tanzania, it is common practice to build walls around property to clearly define boundaries, avoid disputes, and provide safety and security for students living on-campus.
The Campus allows Gem Legacy to reach more students with consistent, high-quality support by bringing training, housing, and mentorship into one place. Centralizing these services expands access to scholarships, increases capacity for vocational and gemology programs, and strengthens long-term earning potential for students who might otherwise have limited opportunities.
No — the Campus will fully operate under Gem Legacy’s nonprofit structure. All students residing in the dormitories and attending the Gem Faceting School will be on Gem Legacy scholarships.
We identify potential College Scholarship students through our relationships with families during Miner Toolkit deliveries and through graduates of our primary and secondary school programs. Students learn about higher-education opportunities at the annual Career Fair and are encouraged to apply if they wish to continue their studies.
Students often learn about the Gem Faceting School at our annual Career Fair, through community referrals, or through Tanzania’s government vocational-training system. The program is an excellent option for students who may not meet academic requirements for university but are eager to build practical skills and start a career.
Many institutions and internships in the region do not offer housing, which creates a major barrier for students from rural and mining areas. Once the Campus dormitories are complete, Gem Legacy will be able to welcome students from any region, not only those who live close enough to commute.
At full capacity, the Campus can serve over 60 students. The exact number will depend on the length of program / training the students are in and how long they will be living at the Campus.
Our strategic goal is to invest in the economies of gem mining communities by educating young professionals to be employed in growing industries, such as gem faceting.
Most vocational schools do not provide housing or any type of holistic student development. Our goal is for graduates to be well-rounded and highly mature in their workplace potential.
Our on-the-ground directors, Bjorn and Rachel Merisheki, will oversee the Campus at the strategic level and partner closely with our on-site leadership team, which will include a Campus Supervisor, like a university dorm resident director, and Gem Faceting instructors.
Please visit! We would love for you to experience the community and energy of dozens of driven and curious students in person.
The supply chain in gem mining countries is in need of qualified individuals to add value to the gemstones exported from the regions, such as faceting, bead making, gemological testing, and jewelry production. As East Africa’s gem center, Arusha is primed for this type of growth and expansion.
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Your Gift Can Change Someone’s Future

A better future starts with a single act of kindness. When you give, you help miners work safely, help students stay in school, and help families build stronger, more stable futures. Stand with the people at the heart of gem mining—your gift can change what’s possible.

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