About Us
Our Roots
Inspired By The Works of Great Men.
Our light was sparked through the work of our founding fathers Sekuru (Grandad in Shona) Basil and Sekuru Luke. They used all of the resources available to them to support the local community through hard times.
Sekuru Basil was a great leader of the St Francis Community in Makoni Zimbabwe, as a successor to his father’s work, Sekuru Francis, he was responsible both for the material and spiritual life of the community. His leadership brought hope to the community and encouraged enthusiastic labour of the sisters and the villagers who undertook enterprise after enterprise. They made bricks, grew crops and tended cattle. They opened
multiple stores, creating a model community who welcomed all who were lucky to visit. Tragically Sekuru Basil’s work came to an abrupt end in March1977, when he was killed by unknown men.
Sekuru Luke held a prominent role in the community of
Gwidza / Chipesa now known as Shenayeguta. He used his land to nurture a beautiful orchard which bore great fruit, encouraging his community to not just eat the fruit,
but use the seed to grow their own. He spent 6 years in the UK and was inspired by the health and social systems. He made the decision to use his homestead and land to improve the live of the villagers. Sekuru Luke passed away in December 2000 leaving a legacy that his Daughter Faith was keen to fulfil.
After retiring from a career spanning the NHS, financial management and entrepreneurism, Faith decided in Jan 2015 to build on the legacy of these 2 great men. With the support of her 2 daughters they sought to develop the Sainted Roots development model. Focused on the spirit of community self development and individual leadership. Faith initiated the first farming project in Shenayeguta village in Nov 2015, encouraged by her father’s drive to support the community, she used the 5 hectares he left to his family to grow a large maize crop. The experiences of this initial farming project became the catalyst for the Sainted Roots model.
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The energy of hope and excitement of opportunity flowed through the community with individuals from the village and beyond playing their role during farming days; cooking for the 40+ workers, ploughing the landing, weeding as well as harvesting and bagging.
The beautiful synergy of the community was otherworldly, with much needed rains falling unexpectedly, helping to grow a bumper harvest of 5.5 tonnes of Maize. 50% of the maize crop was divided amongst the villagers with the rest being sold on to generate income for Sainted Roots.This income was invested back into the children, with Sainted Roots initially funding school fees for 103 primary school
places.
Over the years we have developed the model so we can apply it to any rural community, this has enabled our work to expand into 2 additional villages in 2020. We are now operating in Shenayeguta, Njanike and Murewa .
Vision, Mission & Values
Communities Leading Change
Vision
Raise Up The Living Standards Of Rural Developing Communities.
Our vision is to see thriving rural communities around the world sustainably using their resources for the benefit of all.
Mission
Supporting Rural Developing Communities to lead change.
We’re on a mission to remove rural communities reliance on aid and short-term handouts, helping them to set long term goals for their development.
Core Values
Continuing a family legacy
♥ ‘Uburidom’ The Spirit of Interdependence - Harness the power of synergy througheveryone working together for a collective good.
♥ Be Of Service - Live simply and simply live with a full heart, enriched by honest service, love and sacrifice (St Francis of Assisi).
♥ Be Independent - Help yourself and help others to help themselves as aid can lead to disempowerment and dependency.
♥ Think Long Term - Do not eat the seeds of the fruit, instead plant them and grow your own orchard.
♥ Be Good To The Earth - Protect and nurture natural resources and wildlife.