The Varkey GEMS Foundation is a not-for-profit organization, established to improve the standards of education for underprivileged children. For every child enrolled in a GEMS school, the Foundation aims to impact 100 underpriviledged children.

The Foundation is the philanthropic arm of GEMS Education which has a global network of award-winning schools providing high quality holistic education.

We, GEMS Education, seek to leverage our experience of over 50 years in the education sector. Our students, parents, teachers and staff have raised over $US 40 million for charities around the world.

They are the backbone of the Varkey GEMS Foundation. Our 11,000 education professionals, specialists and staff and the community of 130,000 students and families are helping to raise the standards of education for the world’s poorest children to make sure that every child has a chance to prosper.

Up to 70 million school age children worldwide do not have access to education. We believe we have an obligation to act upon this by impacting one hundred underprivileged students for every child enrolled at a GEMS school. Therefore, we build partnerships with organizations, NGOs and international agencies who share our commitment. Our Partners are UNESCO, Clinton Global Initiative, the Tony Blair Face To Faith Foundation, Dubai Cares and Pratham.

The Varkey GEMS Foundation provides education scholarships and builds schools to increase the capacity of education systems in the developing world. It also provides leadership development, teacher effectiveness and professional development courses to improve the skills and knowledge of teachers and school leaders. The Foundation also offers strategic input and consultancy to the benefit of our NGO partners and places a special emphasis on campaigning on issues of relevance related to promoting education globally.

		VIDEO: VGF Annual Advisory Board Meeting and Reception Click on the link above or on the thumbnail to watch the video.
		VIDEO: Former US President Bill Clinton speaks at the launch of the Varkey GEMS Foundation Click on the link above or on the thumbnail to watch the video.

At the launch of the Foundation in December 2010, former U.S. President Bill Clinton and the honorary Chair of the Varkey GEMS Foundation said, “There will rarely be people who launch something with so much potential to lift the hopes and spirits and dreams of children as this Foundation has done tonight. The benefits from an educated child will affect not only the child itself, but his or her family and the wider community. The Varkey GEMS Foundation's commitment will bring that opportunity to millions more children around the world. I urge all the rest of you to support them, to accelerate and spread this work. The world is depending on it”.

In 2011, the foundation became a member of the UNESCO High-Level Panel on Girls’ and Women’s Education for Empowerment and Gender Equality. Girls’ education is enshrined in our core belief as educators and will act as a ‘global conscience’ for the advancement of girls and women. When girls are educated, their capabilities develop and expand. Girls who learn would be able to benefit their families, communities and societies and most importantly they would alleviate themselves from poverty and profit from better life opportunities.

VIDEO: GEMS students talk about why providing education to underprivileged children is important Click on the link above or on the thumbnail to watch the video.

The Varkey GEMS Foundation is part of our DNA and without our collective engagement and personal investment; we will not be able to reach our aim of impacting the lives of millions of underprivileged children around the world in obtaining a quality education.