For every Lemur Necklace sold, we donate £30 to this grassroots scheme that will directly benefit the small mining community of Ilakaka, Madagascar, providing food, medical supplies, school equipment and access to clean water.
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Ilakaka holds one of the world’s largest sapphire deposits.
The irregular nature of stone mining means that a consistent, reliable income is often out of reach. Even the most talented artisanal miners in Madagascar won’t find a regular supply of sapphires, it can be very sporadic, and much of it comes down to luck!
We rely upon this community for our source of beautifully coloured sapphires, but Svend was distressed to see how impoverished they were - and how many people were going without basic day to day requirements such as food, clean water, healthcare and education.
Svend’s business and subsequently, our business depends and benefits from the stones that are found in the Ilakaka region of Madagascar. Even though Svend ensures that the miners receive a premium (higher than trade standard) price for their stones, we all want to give this community the stability they deserve, irrespective of whether they find sapphires or not.
We have an agreement to give out food at a church in the poorest area of Ilakaka. Severino will purchase rice and hand it out every Friday, prioritising the people who need it most. In Ilakaka, 1 kilo of rice costs just $0.50 cents – so your donation can go a long way.
Most wells in Ilakaka are privately owned. We are building pubic drinking water wells that everyone can use. We have been assigned a piece of land by the mayor and are confident we will get more. Our first well project is shovel ready. It will be in the yard of the public school but will be open to everyone. Each well costs around $3000 – and the more we get, the more we can build.
In Ilakaka, there is one doctor for a population of 100,000, and his shelves are bare. He has given us a four-page list of what he needs. We’re using your donations to provide medical supplies to create a medical clinic fit for the population.
The public schools in Ilakaka are very short of basic materials. We have spoken to the teachers and have a list of materials they need – simple things like pens, notebooks and maths books. We’re also looking to provide school lunches and want to support a school project to plant trees. We are working with schools, because education is the key to the future for all children in Ilakaka, and their children, too.
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