ver since that day, Schuring has made it her
personal mission to change the current state of
affairs in East Africa as much as she possibly
could. Visualizations of people traveling great
distances by foot and undertaking perilous
conditions was an image she wouldn't soon
forget. "I remember driving away that day,
looking out the back window thinking about
how beautiful the school was, but also how poor the country
is—its people weren't benefitting."
Not long after, Schuring started a scholarship fund known as
The Devon Foundation, which led to a dozen scholarships for
students living in Madagascar to attend the school. They learned
how to cut gemstones and as a result, were able to support their
families. Schuring felt it was the least they could do for such
incredible people who, despite severe poverty, inspire such
creativity and passion for their craft.
"[Funding for the school] went on for a couple years. Then it
got to be unsafe in Madagascar," Schuring said. "There was a
coup. One faction stormed the radio station and the TV station—
it wasn't pretty. We had an associate in the industry who became
one of our directors who was going to Madagascar on a regular
basis. That's the only way we were able to undertake something
that far away, we needed someone on the ground checking
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