(IDEX Online) - The Diamond Empowerment Fund (DEF), through its Diamonds Do Good nomenclature, launched a profile of Okavango Diamond Company's Youth Entrepreneurship Programme (ODC-YEP) on DiamondsDoGood.com.
The program is designed to expose youth in Botswana to the diamond value chain and provide formal entrepreneurship training to assist them in exploring and developing their entrepreneurial ambitions, the DEF said.
"Entrepreneurship has been identified as part of a number of solutions to address unemployment in Botswana," said ODC's Managing Director Marcus Ter Haar, who is a board member of the Diamond Empowerment Fund. "It is important for us as stakeholders in the industry to do all in our power to ensure the success of the country in which we do business and the people that live there."
The story will be targeted to millennials through the social media based Diamonds Do Good Initiative.
Research shows 75% of consumers say they are more likely to purchase a diamond after reading positive stories about how the industry gives back, the DEF said. "Putting forward a positive narrative surrounding diamonds is essential," says DEF president and GIA senior vice president Anna Martin. "Sharing these stories with our customers is not only good for business, it is a responsibility for the entire industry."
More examples of how the industry gives back will be highlighted at this year's Diamonds Do Good Gala in Las Vegas on May 31 with honorees Bruce Cleaver, CEO De Beers, and Canada's Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT). Cleaver is being recognized for De Beers' work in accelerating women's professional advancement and GNWT is being recognized for responsible diamond mining practices which ensure a sustainable future for the indigenous tribes and wildlife that surround the mining operations.