The Vision Behind Our Initiatives
We are a charity committed to sustainably solving problems brought to us by artisanal gem mining communities with a culturally sensitive approach.
How We Measure Impact
We measure the impact of our presence in a community by the legacy our presence will leave: a significant increase in dollar to impact, expanding capacity of education, earning power, or otherwise, and generational impact and holistic life improvement.
Mental Toolkit Miner Trainings
Tour Guide, Teacher, Gem Cutter, Secretary, and more! In 2023, Gem Legacy sponsored its inaugural group of seven college attendees from the Ruby mining region of Northern Tanzania. Gem Legacy is committed to opening doors to education for the next generation of gem mining families.
The Kitarini Primary School has blossomed from less than 100 students to more than 800 and counting. Over 90% of the students are the children of local Maasai Ruby miners. The growing population is thanks to Gem Legacy’s Breakfast and Lunch Program, which ensures the students arrive on time, have energy to focus in class, and are motivated to remain until the end of the school day. Today, final test result passing rates have increased from 9% to 93%.
The 5-month Gemological & Gem Faceting program located in Arusha, Tanzania equips young adults for a career in the growing gem faceting industry of East Africa. Gem Legacy scholarships allow underprivileged and uneducated young adults to graduate qualified for open positions that provide a dependable, lifelong career.
The Mwatate Children’s Home currently houses over 25 children, age 5-18, and provides a safe haven for them to develop. The children are all orphans, do not have a home or family to live with for various reasons, or do not feel safe in their home. At the Mwatate Children’s Home, they have secure surroundings, 3 meals per day, school support, camaraderie with friends, and activities and sports. Gem Legacy sponsors school fee scholarships and ongoing needs, such as installing a Solar Panel for light and heated water for sanitation.
Obtaining tools and equipment is a major challenge for most colored gemstone miners in East Africa. 80-90% of all East African miners both farm and mine – farming miners or mining farmers! They use their farming tools to do hard-rock mining, leaving them ill-equipped for safety and success. We want to equip them with the essential tools for self-protection and quickly and effectively reaching their goal: gemstones! Miner Toolkits cost an average of $125 each, though each toolkit is customized to the needs of the miner.
Silicosis is a disease brought on through inhaling crystalline silica dust. It causes irreversible damage to the lungs and often leads to premature death. Tanzanite mining is prone to it because of the geology of the region and the largely underground, enclosed mining practices, which occur without sufficient ventilation. Providing miners with proper masks and filters can prevent inhalation of silica dust.
