GEMS Development Foundation

The GEMS Development Foundation delivers proven, long-term solutions to help communities become self-sustaining through several active projects in South Sudan: ★ Building a medical clinic to serve 5,000 people in Majok Goi village. ★ Installing wells to improve access to clean water. ★ Promoting sustainable farming to fight hunger. ★ Providing goats to farm families to foster sustainable financial security. GEMS started as a grassroots effort to fight hunger in South Sudan amid the nation's bitter struggle for independence. Stirred by the suffering she saw while visiting the nation in 2008, FOX News Correspondent Ellen Ratner created the Goats for the Old Goat program to help people provide sustenance for their families. By 2011, the program had expanded to meet other essential needs, and GEMS (Goats, Education, Medicine, and Sustainability) was born. Since 2011, with the help of generous donors, community partners, and dedicated staff and volunteers, GEMS has: ► Drilled 8 freshwater wells throughout Majok Goi, with 3 more pending. ► Raised funds to repair 4 additional wells in Aweil and Juba Town. ► Built a 25-acre farm through a ‘Work for Food’ program. ► Harvested a sorghum crop amid the COVID-19 pandemic. GEMS also raises money to fund education, youth programs, and customized wheelchairs for the disabled. Maintaining a constant in-country presence, GEMS employs 2 full-time staff members in South Sudan and an additional 10 employees – plus many dedicated volunteers – in the U.S. As an independent nonprofit, GEMS has formed partnerships with LDS Charities, the Windward Islands Research and Education Foundation (WINDREF), and St. George’s University. We invite interested organizations and individuals to join us by providing medical supplies and staffing for our clinic. We also encourage on-site medical missions. Explore our LinkedIn presence and website at www.gemsdevelopment.org to learn more about our people and projects.