Empowering Education: The Diamond Empowerment Fund

In keeping with DEF.’s mission of supporting education initiatives that develop and empowering youth in diamond producing countries in Africa.  The organization looks to fund projects that have proven success in providing youth with high-quality education, including skill building and vocational training initiatives. So far more than 1,000 college students from diamond-producing nations in African have received financial assistance or been awarded scholarships as a result of the support the DEF has received from the diamond and jewelry industry.

Even just six years after the DEF was founded, there are many success stories that the organization has helped contribute to. According to DEF executive director Nancy Orem Lyman, more than 65 percent of all black-held information technology jobs across South Africa are filled by graduates of the organization’s first beneficiary college, CIDA City Campus in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Students from DEF’s beneficiaries, the African Leadership Academy and the Botswana Top Achiever Program are currently pursuing a range of degrees and careers such as biomedical engineering, economics and urbanization, business administration, finance and mechanical engineering in universities across the world. One of the conditions of receiving a grant or scholarship is a commitment to return to Africa.

One of the ways that the DEF has helped fund its mission is through the sale of the Simmons Jewelry Company Green Initiative™ collection of jewelry. According to the DEF website, green is “intended to symbolize prosperity, well-being, and care for the planet Earth and its entire people. Importantly, green also represents the continent of Africa; including its natural and human resources.”

The collection’s malachite and rough-diamond “Green Bracelet” quickly became the first symbol for D.E.F. This signature green bracelet was recently redesigned. Instead of a rough diamond, Simmons Jewelry Company added two polished diamonds to symbolize both D.E.F’s growth and the growth of the students the organization has helped since it was founded.

Danielle Max: When you say that the youth should be the next generation of leaders for their countries, what exactly do you mean?

Nancy Orem Lyman: There are too few opportunities for young emerging leaders in Africa to access quality higher education. Currently across the continent, 80 percent of the population is under 18. We know that attaining a college education is one of the most effective means of strengthening future leaders in Africa.

Through effective leadership development, the quality of life in Africa will be enhanced through social and economic transformation of society for the sake of all humanity.

By giving these young leaders access to higher education, in return they will help grow their nation’s economies in a more sustainable and prosperous manner.

Why is the focus so far on Botswana and South Africa? What about other diamond-producing countries, especially those that have derived less benefit from their diamond resources?

Botswana is the leading producer of rough diamonds in the world in terms of value. South Africa has made a historic contribution to the diamond industry and was the original site from the initiative now known as the Kimberley Process. One of our beneficiaries based in South Africa, the African Leadership Academy, draws its students from the entire continent – DEF supports every student from a diamond-producing country who attends the African Leadership Academy. Additionally, last year we made a grant to the Flaviana Matata Foundation based in Tanzania. This organization finances secondary education for orphaned girls.

Nancy Orem Lyman

 Shouldn’t goals to improve education standards be the responsibility of governments rather than individual organizations?

It should be a combination of the two. In fact, the Top Achiever Program in Botswana is administered through the governments Ministry of Education. It is the partnership between private business and entrepreneurs, non-profit organizations and governments together that will yield the highest rate of success in promoting access to higher education across the continent.

 

What would help the DEF to accomplish its mission? Is the industry doing enough to support the organization?

We are hoping the industry will join our Diamonds for Good membership program that directly supports DEF’s mission. This will give DEF a sustainable annual financial base and help to continue – and even grow – our mission.

 

What are the plans for the DEF in the future?

We realize how important it is to recognize those industry leaders that are committed to making our mission possible. Our annual event, the GOOD Awards, which takes place in January, honors leaders in the industry making a difference. We are very excited to be hosting the 3rd annual GOOD Awards this January in New York City. This has become DEF’s premier, ‘must-attend’ event as it brings together DEF’s unique audience of industry members, celebrities, ‘fashionistas’ and the media. The 2014 GOOD Awards will be bigger than ever as we want to use the money raised to increase the number of scholarships and financial assistance we can provide to college-age youth.

 

Is there anything else you would like to add?

The Diamond Empowerment Fund’s positive mission of youth education empowerment and leadership development is a needed message for the industry to communicate to the most important stakeholder of all, the consumer. Consumer consciousness, concern and care about corporate social responsibility are a growing phenomenon and ones that impact our industry.

 

Studies show that more than 80 percent of consumers care that the companies do business with give back to the community in some way. Industry support of DEF’s mission through the Diamonds For Good membership campaign is a strong and visible demonstration to these consumers of their commitment to this goal.