The Gemological Institute of America approved a grant to support a United States Agency for International Development project called Property Rights and Artisanal Diamond Development. The grant will provide training in sorting and evaluation of diamonds in the Central African Republic and Liberia.

Under the grant, GIA will support travel and accommodation costs for 20 students to participate in a weeklong training course held in Bangui, Central African Republic. Five participants from Liberia and 15 participants from the Central African Republic that are already involved with the PRADD project will be selected to receive the training. GIA will waive the full tuition fee; provide specialized training materials, including rough diamonds for the training; as well as an instructor, assistant instructor, and translator.

“We look forward to serving this region through our educational offerings,” said Donna Baker, president and CEO of GIA, in a statement. “We are honored to work alongside USAID on this important initiative to help achieve a greater quality of life for the residents of these African communities.”

For more information about the PRADD Project, contact Timothy Fella at tfella@usaid.gov.

JCK