Gemfields Foundation
About Gemfields Foundation
Gemfields Foundation, established in 2019 as a UK registered charity, is the charitable arm of Gemfields Group, through which donors can contribute funding to directly support community and conservation projects in sub-Saharan Africa, boosting the scale and scope of the work continuously carried out by Gemfields since 2009.
Governed by an international board of trustees originating from four countries, the Gemfields Foundation provides a vessel through which donors can leverage Gemfields’ proven on-the-ground project delivery capability to make a material positive impact, all within the governance and regulatory framework provided by Gemfields as a publicly listed company.
The Foundation has two charitable purposes:
(1) the prevention or relief of poverty by providing grants and awards to charities and/or other organisations working to prevent or relieve poverty; and
(2) the advancement of animal welfare and the conservation and protection of wildlife and natural habitats by providing grants and awards to charities and/or other organisations working in the field of wildlife protection.
Gemfields Foundation does not have overhead, administration, employee, travel and management costs, as these are borne fully by Gemfields Limited. It is able to leverage, at no cost, the Group’s in-country experience, personnel, infrastructure, logistics, support and community liaison teams. As such, the Gemfields Foundation is well-positioned to deliver impactful projects in a commercial and timely fashion.
UK charity number: 1185658
Governance
The Trustees have the responsibility of deciding which projects the Foundation should undertake, regulating spend, evaluating impact of initiatives and overseeing the delivery of projects. The Trustees meet regularly to decide how the funds will be used.
Our Trustees are:
- Philippe Lamblin, Chairman and Trustee
The Trustee’s chairman, Philippe, is an expert in Private Wealth and Family Office services. During postings in Africa with the French Foreign legion, particularly in Chad, Philippe saw first-hand the need to help the local population in an efficient way. He brings this drive to Gemfields Foundation as chairman and trustee.
- Emily Dungey, Managing Director and Trustee
Emily leads communications across the Gemfields Group, overseeing public relations, reputation, brand, and marketing, in addition to her role as managing director of the Gemfields Foundation. Since launching the charity, Mrs Dungey has steered the funding and construction of classrooms, kitchens and canteens at five schools in Madagascar, and overseen the equipment and establishment of four computer labs for school pupils in both Zambia and Mozambique.
- Dr Sixtus C Mulenga, Trustee
Sixtus is the chairman of Kagem Mining Limited, and is particularly motivated to see the Foundation succeed as it reinforces his personal values of giving back to society. Sixtus’ family business built a school in the Chililabombwe District on the Copperbelt Province in Zambia, which offers scholarships to orphans and has been running for 22 years. He has been the Zambian Patron of the UK Charity Cecily’s Fund for 15 years, educating over 15,000 young people in Kitwe and Lusaka, Zambia.
- Richa Goyal Sikri, Trustee
Richa is a Singapore-based independent journalist in the gem and jewellery industry covering various aspects from mine to market. During Richa’s independent travels to gem mining areas, she sought organisations and initiatives for charitable contributions, leaving a positive impact. Her deep interest in the industry led her to visit the Kagem emerald mine in Zambia in 2019. Observing the positive effects of the mining operation first-hand motivated her to contribute towards an infrastructure development project for the Kapila primary school.
- Samora Machel Jr., Trustee
Samora has served as the independent chairman of Montepuez Ruby Mining (“MRM”) since 2013. Samora is a passionate supporter of community engagement and livelihood projects. Recognising that, for the nation of Mozambique and the Mozambican people, the key to economic empowerment and better livelihoods is through education and access to knowledge, he has given his full support to the programme of community projects funded by MRM.
- Edward Johnson, Trustee
As Gemfields’ Corporate Responsibility Director, Edward is responsible for leading initiatives to create a positive impact for the local communities around Gemfields’ mines in Mozambique and Zambia.