GEMFUND is a Kenyan-based social enterprise working at the heart of the Artisanal and Small-Scale Gemstone value chain. For several years, we have been building capacity among mining communities and youth through our gemstone value addition training centre in Taita Taveta, the Taasisi ya Madini. Here, we provide practical training in lapidary, enabling local talent to master the art of gem cutting, polishing, and small-scale jewellery design.

Our vision is for Kenya — and the wider East African region — to move beyond resource extraction towards local processing, ensuring that the wealth generated from gemstones directly benefits the communities that mine them.

Co-founded and led by a young Kenyan geologist, GEMFUND has grown into a vibrant hub for artisanal value addition and innovation. Beyond lapidary, we are advancing immersive solutions such as gemstone traceability through blockchain, specifically our Transparency Traceability Technology (T3) platform.

At its core, GEMFUND’s mission is to build a sustainable, youth- and women-driven gemstone ecosystem that empowers communities, increases incomes, and supports Kenya’s national priority of achieving in-country value addition before export