Progress Report on Gem School Scholarships in Madagascar
Portland, OR, February 20, 2009...Artminers, supported by a $100,000 grant from The Tiffany & Co. Foundation, has established a scholarship program to enable impoverished Malagasy to attend two gemology schools in the country.
The Institut Gemmologie Madagascar, co-founded by American Tom Cushman, along with the ESSVA in the gem center of Antsirabe, offers classes in gem cutting, gemology and lapidary, as well as special courses on costume jewelry, to inspire designers and spur entrepreneurs.
The program is designed for high impact in Madagascar’s burgeoning gem industry. In the past, most of Madagascar’s gems have been exported as rough stones straight from diggers to foreign dealers. The ability for Madagascar to add value to the supply chain with trained gemologists, gem cutters and jewelry designers through this program is significant.
According to Artminers’ Project Manager Tom Cushman, “While most Madagascans have to survive on less than a dollar a day, gem cutters and polishers can earn as much as $165 per month, lifting them from poverty to earn a comfortable, middle-class wage.”
The future is looking brighter for Jean Marie Robera. Raised in an orphanage, he didn’t complete high school and his prospects were dim. Now enrolled at the IGM through the scholarship program, Jean Marie is a passionate student and his instructors report excellent progress.
The Tiffany & Co. Foundation President Fernanda Kellogg says, “The Tiffany & Co. Foundation focuses its efforts in areas in which small-scale mining occurs and looks to promote economic and social development within these communities. By supporting Artminers in its work to create a skilled labor force for colored gemstone mining, the Foundation recognizes the increasing importance of Madagascar for gem sourcing.”
Artminers Director Kristina Shafer says: “The continued innovation shown by The Tiffany & Co. Foundation to empower the smallest producers in the supply chain is outstanding and we’re honored to
have their generous support of our mission.”
Begun last summer, the scholarship program has already graduated over 80 students and will award over 150 students throughout the course of the project.
About The Tiffany & Co. Foundation
The Tiffany & Co. Foundation, which awarded its first set of grants in 2000, provides support to non-profit organizations dedicated to the education and preservation of the decorative arts and
environmental conservation. For more information on The Tiffany & Co. Foundation, please visit www.tiffanyandcofoundation.org Contact: Carson Glover, tel: 212 277-5917, carson.glover@tiffany.com
To read our second progress report, click here.
