Gem News International Gems & Gemology, Spring 2019, Vol. 55, No. 1

Gem Legacy: A Nonprofit for East African Communities

Jennifer-Lynn Archuleta

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These pink and green tourmalines from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Figure 1. Sourcing gem rough from East Africa led Roger Dery to seek ways to benefit the communities. These pink and green tourmalines are from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Photo by Rachel Dery.

The launch party for Gem Legacy, a nonprofit organization benefiting East African mining communities, was held in Tucson on February 8. This author sat down with founder Roger Dery (Roger Dery Gem Design, Royal Oak, Michigan) to discuss the organization’s mission and projects.

Gem Legacy: A nonprofit for East African communities
 

Dery entered the trade in 1981, supplying gems from Brazil, India, and East African countries to jewelry stores in the Midwest before becoming a cutter. He took his first trip to Africa in 2008, visiting a dozen mines in Madagascar over 17 days and purchasing rough from the communities (see figure 1). Over the course of several more trips, also visiting mines and gem dealers in Tanzania and Kenya, Dery realized that he did not just want to purchase goods and leave, nor did he want to conflict with local customs. Through 2017, he and his fellow travelers brought food to mining villages to build trust and contribute to each community.

Gem Legacy covered school fees for orphans in the Mwatate Children’s Home (Kenya) had their school fees covered.
Figure 2. Through the work of Gem Legacy, orphans in the Mwatate Children’s Home in Mwatate, Kenya, had their school fees covered. Photo by Rachel Dery.

After consulting with his wife and daughter about the best way to contribute to these communities, in 2018 Dery formed Gem Legacy, a nonprofit that supports specific projects in the areas of education, vocational training, and entrepreneurship. Gem Legacy has provided three sessions of gemological training in Malawi (in conjunction with the country’s Ministry of Mines), paid school fees for orphans in Malawi (figure 2), provided beds to orphaned children in Kenya, and delivered equipment to women miners in southern Kenya. They are now raising funds to update the machines at Tanzania’s Arusha Gem Faceting School.

There are many ways to give through Gem Legacy. Retailers may choose to stock souvenirs made in communities that benefit from the nonprofit and donate all proceeds back to the communities. Other options include event hosting and donating a percentage from sales of a given collection. Gem Legacy also encourages pajama, toy, and book drives; grassroots fundraising through platforms such as GoFundMe; and direct donations to the nonprofit itself.

For more on Gem Legacy, go to https://www.gemlegacy.org.

Jennifer-Lynn Archuleta is the editor of Gems & Gemology.