Garnets, Tourmaline, Tanzanite
Shamsa Diwani, Secretary General of the Tanzania Women Miners Association, taken by Marc Choyt, President of Reflective Jewelry, at the Madison Dialog World Bank meeting in 2007.
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We source our ethical garnet, tourmaline and tanzanite from the Tanzanian Women Mining Association, which empowers women miners in Tanzania.
Tanzania is a country with abundant gem and mineral wealth and a large population of small-scale artisan diggers who live in poverty. It is very difficult for these miners to find the resources that will enable them to successfully mine and sell to the global market. Most particularly, it is especially hard for women, who face cultural, financial and technical obstacles to starting their own small-scale mining operations.
We offer a limited range of round faceted garnet, green oval tourmaline and tanzanite from Tanzania Women Miners Association (TAWOMA.) TAWOMA was formed on 22nd of August 1997 as a nonprofit to support small scale mining women to own their own mining plots. The organization now has approximately 522 member and exists to support the woman miners through the empowerment of their sheer entrepreneurial efforts.
Tanzania Women Miners Association exists to support the woman miners through the empowerment of their sheer entrepreneurial efforts.
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Support For Women Miners
- TAWOMA seeks to support small-scale women mining activities that are both economically viable and environmentally sustainable. The organization's activities includes financial, technical and marketing support. TAWOMA also assists with marketing and advocacy in dealing with the government when problems are faced, and by assisting women miners to travel outside the country in order to obtain Master Dealer Licenses.
TAWOMA has also created a revolving fund to support operations. It serves to lobby and advocate on behalf of women, to the government's mining sector. The ultimate vision of TAWOMA is to eliminate poverty and create new jobs for women and youth in the mining sector.
Gemstones are polished in Dar es Salaam. TAWOMA knows where the stones come from, where they are cut and the profits are shared.