(PRESS RELEASE) ROYAL OAK, MI — Gem Legacy, a nonprofit organization established in 2018 and dedicated to supporting gem mining communities, is launching its 2019 campaign to transform the Arusha Gem Cutting School located in Tanzania. The $50,000 goal will replace all of the 30-year-old, outdated machines that are not used in most African workplaces with new American-made Facetron machines, the most widely used modern machine in East African cutting centers.
The Arusha Gem Cutting School has graduated over 700 students with training in gem faceting, gemology and gem grading. The education has quickly become obsolete as the global mechanics and standards for faceting have dramatically improved. Today, most students graduating are unable to find work because their skills do not meet the standards of the workplace.
“The school has done a remarkable job of fostering the underprivileged of society and equipping them to support themselves,” said Roger Dery, executive director of Gem Legacy Inc. “Peter Salla, the founder, believes in teaching them to facet gems so that they can provide for themselves, have confidence in their abilities, and dream about their future.”
For more information about Gem Legacy or to donate, email info@gemlegacy.org or visit gemlegacy.org. To learn more, follow Gem Legacy on Instagram @thegemlegacy and on Facebook @thegemlegacy.
