FAQs

The project

Why is >Project Ilakaka needed?

Conditions for local communities in Ilakaka have improved since the sapphire deposit began to be widely exploited in the 1990s. However, not everyone benefits. The average wage in Ilakaka is just $1 a day. Gemstone miners make $3 a day, but even that’s not enough to support their families long-term. And things are getting worse. More and more profits are moving up the supply chain – and very few stay in Madagascar. As a result, many people in the community are struggling.

>Project Ilakaka is trying to return some of the profits from the sapphire industry back to the people at the bottom of the supply chain – the mining communities in Ilakaka.

Why do you focus on Ilakaka and not other, poorer areas of Madagascar?

The answer to this question is simply practical. People in our team have visited Ilakaka regularly over the part 15 years. We know the people, culture and conditions, and this gives us the chance to run the project with the highest chance of success. We hope to be able to expand our work into neighbouring regions in future, but we need to start in a place we know well.

For success at this stage, it is essential that:

– We are present and interact with the community on a daily basis.
– We collaborate with the local authorities. This includes formal institutions, such as the Major’s office, and less formal structures, like the village Chiefs and the local businesses.
– We don’t just build and launch projects; we also collaborate with local contractors that can service and maintain the infrastructure and projects we build, and help us develop new ones.

How do you decide which projects to focus on?

This is a good question. There are many issues in Ilakaka and some are getting worse. For example, water is becoming a critical issue as climate change has shortened the rainy season. As a result, around 70% of the local population don’t have access to clean drinking water for most of the year.

We prioritise projects by speaking to the city Mayor, schools, local doctor and others in the community to find out what they need most. This has resulted in a three-step approach that we call ‘support, sustain and empower’.  In practice, this means focusing on basic necessities (such as building water wells) while also supporting longer term projects, like putting local children through school. We may also shift focus temporarily to address immediate issues and crises, such as delivering humanitarian aid if local harvests fail.

Do your projects have an impact?

Yes, our projects have impact. It’s very easy to see the difference that a well makes to local families or medical supplies make to the people who need them. However, some projects are harder to measure. Education, for example, is a long-term investment. We expect that, by supporting the local schools, we can improve education and prospects for the local children, but the impact of this will not be seen until some years down the line.

Does anyone in your team get paid?

No. Our core team is made up of volunteers who want to make a difference. However, we pay local contractors and suppliers the standard market rate for their work – such as building wells or supplying medicines.

What is the timeframe of the project? 

Unfortunately, there is no definitive end in sight for the project. We will continue supporting the people in Ilakaka as long as we have donations and there are people in Ilakaka to support. But we do know when the project is succeeding. If we help just one family get access to clean water, one child to go to school, or plant one tree, then this is a success. The more people we help, the more successful the project becomes.

Do you have a hidden agenda?

No, we don’t have a hidden agenda. Many people in our team have no direct connection to the jewellery industry and have no interest in the project other than making life better for people less fortunate than themselves. But, we would like the project to cause a shift in the jewellery industry as a whole. If the project can be copied and replicated in other places, we welcome it. So, if helping create a fairer and more sustainable jewellery supply chain could be described as a ‘hidden agenda’ then we welcome the term.

Is this project supported through donations from private people or companies?

We accept donations from everyone – jewellers, private individuals, jewellery customers, corporations, and charity funds. You can donate here.

Humanitarian aid

How do you decide what medicines to supply?

In Ilakaka, there is one doctor and medical clinic serving around 100,000 people. The clinic is very basic, without electricity. We have spoken to the doctor and he has given us a four-page list of what he needs to provide basic medical care to the population he serves. We have found a reliable medical supplier in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, and built the infrastructure needed to transport medicine to Ilakaka regularly. We are now working our way through the doctor’s list.

How is humanitarian help (such as food distribution) related to the sapphire supply chain?

Humanitarian aid is not directly related to the sapphire industry. However, we believe that the gem mining industry in Ilakaka should benefit the entire community, not just those lucky enough to own ‘gem land’ or find the best stones. The average wage in Ilakaka is just $1 a day. Gemstone miners make more – $3 a day – but that is nothing compared to the price of a gemstone in Europe or the US, and not enough to support a gem miner’s family long-term. As a result, many in the community are struggling, including those who work in the sapphire mines. We would like Ilakaka’s sapphire resources to improve life for everyone in the community. At this stage, the most effective way to do that is through direct support from the jewellery industry.

Would it make more sense to supply humanitarian aid by supporting more established NGOs that have experience with this type of aid?

We wish this were the case. However, there are very few NGOs working successfully in Ilakaka – very few have the same connections and understanding of local conditions that we have – and we find it more effective to suply humanitarian aid, such as food, directly.

Drinking water

Why are you building wells?

Water is a critical issue in Madagascar in general and particularly in inland areas like Ilakaka. Climate change has shortened the rainy season, and today around 70% of the people in Ilakaka only have access to drinking water for a few months a year. Even during the rainy season, as very few people have access to water filter systems, they are are forced to drink water directly from the local river, even through they know it isn’t clean.

It is not uncommon to see children begging on the side of the road in Ilakaka, not for money, but for bottles of water. Building wells is one solution.

How much does a well cost to build?

We have found a local building contractor who can build wells for us. These are built on  free public land, with permisson from the local Mayor. Building the well itself costs between EUR 2,500 and EUR 6,000, depending on the depth required and how many exploratory holes need to be dug.

Who runs the wells once they are built?

Once a well is built, there is little required to run or maintain it. It is used by local families, who maintain it themselves. The local contractor who built the well can help with maintenance, if needed. We supply a small budget for repairs.

Longer term projects

How do you support education?

We have spoken to the local school and they have given us a list of things they need. Most are basic, such as pens, paper and other school supplies. We’re now looking into the best way to source these supplies in Madagascar and get them to the schools. We’re also building a well in the school yard for the children to get clean drinking water during the day. The well will also be open for people and families in the local area to use.

Finally, we’re looking into supporting local school children. It costs just $2 dollars a month to send a child to school in Ilakaka, but many families who can’t afford even that. It may be possible for us – with your generous support – to pay for local children to attend school.

Why is tree planting important in Madagascar?

Madagascar faces a multitude of challenges, with the main one being poverty. Cutting down trees is often the last resort to survive in this desperate situation, and it is common for local communities cut down trees to make charcoal, which can be sold and used as a source of income. Madagascar was once covered in lush forests, but there are increasingly few trees left. Planting trees is not only good for the environment in general, but will help restore much of the imbalances caused in recent years by climate change.

Do you plan to teach people in Ilakaka to cut gems or make other jewellery products?

Yes, this is one of our long-term goals. Cut stones are far more valuable than rough stones. Today, rough stones from Ilakaka are exported for cutting. As a result, the jewellery industry is very unbalanced, with most profits moving up the supply chain.

We want to give the local population in Ilakaka the skills they need to cut stones locally. We would also like to see people in Ilakaka make other jewellery products from the raw materials at their disposal, such as making beads from low-grade gem-bearing material. This will give the people in Ilakaka more direct access to the wider jewellery market, enabling them to take control of, and benefit from, their own natural resources and leading to a fairer jewellery supply chain.

How can I get involved

How can I help?

The easiest thing you can do is to support our project, either through a one-off donation or by paying a monthly subscription. A monthly subscription is much better for us, as it means that we can plan our work more effectively and so deliver lasting change. So, if a monthly subscription is possible for you, please choose that option.

You can donate on our Donations page.

But >Project Ilakaka is not our project. It is an invitation for you and others in the jewellery industry to take direct action and support the people in your supply chain. We’re open for collaborations and ideas – anything that can help support the mining community in Ilakaka.

Are my donations tax deductible?

We are still working to get >Project Ilakaka on the list of tax-deductible charity organisations in Denmark. As soon as we do that, then yes, your donations will be tax deductible. How you go about getting that tax deduction is something that you will have to ask your accountant.

How can I promote the project?

You can talk about the project with people you meet, including others jewellers and even your customers. If you donate, you can promote the project on your website, using the images and logos we supply.

Finally, some jewellery companies, such as Majoral and Alex Monroe, have launched special collections/jewellery pieces that are connected to the project in some way. They donate a portion of the profits from each sale to the project. Feel free to do the same!

Is it possible for me to visit the community in Ilakaka?

Yes, it is possible. We will be arranging a trip to Madagascar for our supporters at some point in the future. If you are a supporter of our project, you will here more about this. Of course, if you prefer to travel independently, we can introduce you to Severin – our main project lead in Ilakaka – in advance, so you can meet him and others when you are there.