Sainted Roots 2023 Annual Report Charity Number: 1184408
## Contents
|Executive Summary|P 2|
|---|---|
|How We Make A Difference|P 3|
|2022 Delivery Summary|P 4|
|2022 Achievements|P 5|
|The Sainted Roots Theory of Change|P 7|
|Community Champions Program|P 8|
|Programme Challenges & Lessons Learnt|P 9|
|Impact Since Inception|P 8|
|2022 Financial Review|P 9 - 10|
|Meet The Team|P 11 - 12|
1
## Executive Summary
Zimbabwean communities have long struggled to make ends meet, as the nation’s leaders continue to rely heavily on aid to support the population. Yet, with this reliance comes a weakening of the drive for self-sufficiency, stifling efforts to improve conditions independently. Aid, as it stands, is not working in Zimbabwe, though studies to explain why remain scarce. At Sainted Roots, we focus on our core values, aiming to reveal the inherent strength within families, communities, and the nation, fostering peace, unity, and sustainable development.
Our mission to support Zimbabwe persists, and we adapt our model to confront the challenges of a shifting political and social environment.
**Post-COVID Challenges:** The pandemic disrupted our rural projects, with lockdowns fracturing social structures. School closures have had a lasting impact, leading to increased rates of teenage pregnancy, substance abuse, illness, and violence since 2020. The morale of our communities is low, and lawlessness has increased.
**2023 Election Fallout:** The 2023 elections were contentious, especially for rural communities, where hope, peace, and trust in leadership have diminished. This has strained our relationships, complicating the implementation of community-driven initiatives.
**Social Division over LGBTQ Rights:** Communities are increasingly
divided on LGBTQ rights, particularly as some religious
leaders return from abroad with new directives for acceptance. This has led to tension within churches and among the communities we serve.
Despite these challenges, Sainted Roots has taken this time to reflect, reassess, and refine our approach. By pausing our community farming program, we’ve discovered the impact of strategically working with motivated individuals rather than entire communities from the outset. We are now focusing our resources on these individuals, providing farming inputs, entrepreneurship training, and support in leadership, community development, and peacebuilding. Additionally, we remain committed to protecting vulnerable groups, especially women and children, by partnering with local agencies to address child abuse and gender-based violence.
Through our deeply held values, Sainted Roots is dedicated to healing Zimbabwe’s rural communities, empowering them to break free from poverty and build sustainable futures.
**Co-founder and Chair of Trustees**
2
## How We Make A Difference
## **Objectives**
Sainted Roots, a community-led development system, continues its work in the Makoni District of Zimbabwe, partnering with rural communities to lead their own development out of poverty.
- I. To support sustainable livelihood options through provision of skills and inputs.
- II. To provide support for economic growth and regeneration through capacity building.
In 2023, we concluded our community farming projects and shifted our focus to developing the Community Champions Program. We are currently working with five Community Champions based in five different villages: Shenayeguta, Njanike, Chikuruwo, Gandanzara, and Jecha.
- III. To engage and strengthen communities in implementing viable gender sensitive projects.
- IV. To train communities in entrepreneurship and value chains.
## **Activities**
Through the program we are helping these champions grow as leaders so they can expand their impact on and inspiration to their respective communities. By empowering these individuals, we aim to foster sustainable development that continues to benefit the entire community.
- We support and provide training to proactive individuals, helping them become Community Champions that have the capacity to uplift their communities.
- We work with Agriculture Officers to train and encourage sustainable farming methods to improve harvests, for food and economic stability.
## **Aim**
Promoting sustainable development in the rural community.
- We plant fruit and indigenous trees, to enhance biodiversity and to help restore the local environment.
- We work with consultants to provide training and community counselling to empower and build capacity.
- We work with local agencies and are committed to safeguarding the most vulnerable members of the communities we serve.
3
## 2023 Delivery Summary
## **Operations Summary**
In 2023, Sainted Roots focused on deepening community empowerment through more targeted initiatives. Building on the lessons learned in 2022, we recognized that sustainable development could only be achieved by shifting greater responsibility to local leaders and fostering self-reliance within communities.
This year, our primary goal was to transition from direct involvement in projects to a model that positions Community Champions as the driving force behind change. By stepping back and empowering these leaders, we aimed to create an environment where communities could take ownership of their development efforts, reducing dependency on external support.
The development and implementation of the Community Champion Programme was central to this strategy (see page 6). Through this initiative, we worked to nurture strong, capable leaders who could inspire and guide their
communities toward interdependent growth and lasting progress.
4
## 2023 Achievements
## **Peacebuilding and Community Engagement**
In 2023, peacebuilding has been a central focus for us. With the guidance of a consultant, we launched "village conversation cafés" to create open forums for addressing and resolving both individual and community issues. The consultant has successfully helped Shenayeguta village find common ground on divisive topics, including same-sex marriage, the 2023 election disputes, and other pressing social matters.
We also enhanced our Community Champion Programme by selecting five dedicated individuals from five different villages, whom we call our “Big 5.” These champions receive targeted support, training, and coaching to build their capacity as future community leaders, inspiring others to contribute positively and actively to their communities.
## **Strengthen the Local Economy**
Working with the “Big 5” has also helped create local employment and provided rural communities with access to foreign currency, as workers are now able to earn US dollars for their contributions.
## **Building Strong Local Partnerships**
This year we continued liasing with ZWLA (Zimbabwe Women’s Lawyers Association), One Stop Shop and Makoni District Police on safe-guarding matters. Petitioned the local council for the reinstatement of local dip tanks and supplied medicines for treating and controlling cattle tick disease outbreak in Shenayaguta.
Our annual Harvest Festival and New Year’s Eve celebration remain vital community events, bringing people together through music, gratitude, and optimism. Like the conversation cafés, these gatherings create a welcoming space for sharing ideas and discussing important issues.
5
## 2023 Achievements
## _**Achievements Include:**_
- **3 no. Conversation Café sessions** with the local
- community on leadership training, conflict resolutions and community development. Impacting 20-30 individuals ( **14 men & 16 Women** )
- **1 no. Conversation Café** with the Big 5 on la
- **16 piglets** sired by Njanike Village
- **Murehwa village piggery project i** mplemented with help from Njanike village.
- 10no. **Workshops delivered** with Njanike and Murehwa communial farming groups impacting
- **6 Employees and Big 5 Trained** in Sainted Roots Theory of Change, Mission, and values
- Following on from our 2022 collaboration with local agencies. Victims of the 4 safeguarding incidents raised have been supported and perpetrators have prosecuted.
- **Toys donated** to Chingono Primary School ECD classes to start a toy library.
- Strengthening operations in the rural community by building crop storage and thrashing floor for processing harvests
6
**Sainted Roots’ Theory of Change** Creating Lasting Change
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Inputs Activities Outcomes Impacts
Getting Ready To Work Together Phase 1 Healthy People Individuals
Resources
• Establishing Community Champions • Knowing themselves • Proactive & healthy
• Money to invest into • Create village committees Individuals with
programmes • Complete Community Self-Assessment • Learning and sharing independent mindsets
• Money to run the • Define SMART Goals skills
organisation • Strong Community Leaders
•• TimeTechnology Working On Projects Together Phase 2 • Embracing new ways of thinking with ability to influence long-term thinking & bring
• Materials and i. Using communal lands to produce about change
Guidance cash & stable food crops • Feeling physically and
• Community Assets ii. Growing and planting fruit and mentally well
indigenous trees
iii. Creating a shared community space
Healthy Homesteads Homes
for meetings and community events
People iv. Improving community access to clean
• Skilled, motivated & v. water for irrigation & household useEnsuring Animal Welfare • Continuous improvement • Strong families, with the knowledge and ability to
fulfilled staff of homes instill positive habits into the
••• Technical AdvisorsCommunity ChampionsEngaged Communities Supporting Community Champions • Train proactive individuals and help them Phase 3 • Taking advantage of home business • next generation.Independent households
• Invested Partners set up their own projects. opportunities with increasing capacity to
• Support proactive individuals to become generate wealth
community champions and share • Growing your own food
learning. and eating well
• Provide resources for projects that align
with SR Mission Healthy Communities Communities
Research Phase 4
Village Independence
• Physical Context • Looking after nature • Flourishing local plants and
• Community Capacity • Carryout a series of self-assessments to wildlife
• Existing Boots on the Ground understand how ready the village is for independence. • Planting of ingenious Trees • Interlinked communities,
• Local economic • Plan and deliver exit strategy. sharing assets and benefiting
environment Connected Communities Phase 5 • Improving roads and from improved infrastructure
services
• Thriving local economies
• Build a network of independent • Encouraging enterprise providing opportunities for all
communities working together. to find their fortune
and people’s Market
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7
## **Sainted Roots’ Theory of Change**
## Activities Refined
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2
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Nurture Strong Community
Champions
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- Enhanced training for proactive individuals to help them set up their own projects / expand existing projects.
- • Support proactive individuals to become leaders and share learning.
- • Provide resources for projects that align with SR Mission.
- 1 •
- Encourage Personal Growth
- Community wide training on principles of personal growth: Being Proactive.
- Identify potential community champions
- Complete initial assessment of community
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4
Connect Community
Champions to Other Villages
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3
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Support Community Champions To Lead Community Projects
- Encourage regular community meetings.
- Use available communal lands to produce cash & stable food crops Grow and plant fruit and indigenous trees
-
-
Create shared community spaces Improving community infrastructure Ensure Animal Welfare
-
-
-
- Provide opportunities for / encourage community champions to work with other communities.
- Build a network of communities working together.
8
## Programme Challenges
A summary of the challenges faced with delivery/scaling of programmes and improvements that will be made as a result.
## **Challenges**
## **Lessons Learnt**
- **Collapse community farming projects** - Njanike and Shenayaguta projects disbanded
- Reduce scale and restructure projects to allow for smaller groups working together.
- **Prenial Droughts.** Low rainfall has impacted harvest for 2022; compounded
- **Marketing Challenges.** Rural farmers continue to struggle with finding profitable markets for their produce.
- **Economic Conditions.** Local currency instability and price fluctuations have been a challenge. RTG collapsed and a new currency ZIG was implemented but not fully adopted.
- **Lack Of Resources.** On going limited availability of farming tools means over reliance on animals. Bio-engineered seeds and the restriction of seed production / distribution also have an impact.
- Develop the Community Champions programme further and integrate a strong change management strategy.
- Establish a Conversation Café to get people to communicate more effectively.
- Strengthen relationship with police and other agencies to increase community awareness of safeguarding issues, relevant laws and support available.
- **Community peace and harmony** – Fallout from national elections and internation influence on LGBTQ and Church standing.
- Be prepared for climate change by providing a borehole to each community.
- Develop Tree planting program and encourage the use of drought farming methods such **diga-u-gute** and **zero-tillage** .
- Develop clearer pathways to market and to improve the profitability of rural farmers.
9
## Impact Since Inception
**Data:** Activities delivered between Nov 2015 - Dec 2023.
School Fees Funded For 175 Children (including 35 orphans), supporting the education provision of 600+ children from surrounding villages
20 Hectares of communal land donated to support our work
Improvement in health of 20 adults living with HIV
1,640+ Adults impacted through training provision Working in 6 villages though the Community $62,000 Donated to SR programmes and Champions Program and community farming invested in rural communities projects $45,000 income generated and invested back into the community 40+ seasonal jobs and 6 part time jobs created to support delivery of our work 40% of villagers surveyed were reported to have access to 3 meals per day & further 54% had 0ver 48 Tonnes of produce grown access to at least 2 meals per day Support given to children and vulnerable adults Over 1,500 Trees budded & grafted experiencing abuse
10
## 2023 Finance Review
**2023 Charity Commission Report**
Sainted Roots - 1184408
For the year ended 31 December 2023
||**Account Name**|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**|**Restricted**
**Funds**|**Endowment**
**Funds**|**Total Funds**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Net Income / (Expenditure)**||||||
|I**ncome**||||||
||Donations & Legacies|||||
||Donations and Gifts|6,374.99|0.00|0.00|6,374.99|
||Total Donations & Legacies|6,374.99|0.00|0.00|6,374.99|
||Other|||||
||Bank Interest|0.70|0.00|0.00|0.70|
||Total Other|0.70|0.00|0.00|0.70|
|**Total Income**||**6,375.69**|**0.00**|**0.00**|**6,375.69**|
|**Expenditure**||||||
||Charitable Activities|||||
||Delivery of Charitable Goods and
Services|(4,186.81)|0.00|0.00|(4,186.81)|
||Governance Costs|(1,008.33)|0.00|0.00|(1,008.33)|
||Total Charitable Activities|(5,195.14)|0.00|0.00|(5,195.14)|
||Other||||0.00|
||Motor Vehicle Repairs|(850.34)|0.00|0.00|(850.34)|
||Connectivity, Phone & Data|(263.03)|0.00|0.00|(263.03)|
||IT Software|(47.98)|0.00|0.00|(47.98)|
||Loan Repayment to External Funder|(50.00)|0.00|0.00|(50.00)|
||Total Other|(1,211.35)|0.00|0.00|(1,211.35)|
|**Total Expenditure**||**(6,406.49)**|**0.00**|**0.00**|**(6,406.49)**|
|**Total Net Income /**|**(Expenditure)**|**(30.80)**|**0.00**|**0.00**|**(30.80)**|
11
## 2023 Finance Review
**2023 Spend Breakdown by Function / Programme**
Sainted Roots - 1184408
For the year ended 31 December 2023
## **Amount**
|**Finance**||||**£50.00**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||Loan Repayment to External Funder||£50.00|
|**IT**||||**£311.01**|
||||Enthuse - Donation Platform|£47.98|
||||Phone & Data|£263.03|
|**Operations**||||**£1,727.76**|
||Diesel – Travel to rural for monthly checks|||£865.48|
||||Vehicle Repairs to Freelander|£550.00|
||||Tax and Insurance for Freelander|£84.03|
|||PVO Registration for Sainted Roots||£58.82|
||Travel|Expense - Monthly Wage Distribution||£169.43|
|**People (HR)**||||**£1,587.73**|
||||Staff Christmas Bonus|£118.25|
||||Wages|£1,469.48|
|**Personal**|**Growth**|||**£1,031.75**|
||||Conversation Cafés|£162.19|
||||Diesel - Freelander|£613.05|
||Travel Expense – Capacity building training &||||
||||coaching|£256.51|
|**Sustainable Farming**||||**£1,698.24**|
||Farming Inputs (community Champions - Big 5)|||£902.08|
||||Fuel|£181.06|
||||Repair to Vehicle|£300.34|
||||Vehicle Tax and Insurance|£84.03|
||||Food for the Rural Team|£230.73|
|**Grand Total**||||**£6,406.49**|
12
## Meet The Team
**Think Long Term:** Hope grows where teamwork sows its seeds
## **Trustees**
## **Ms. Faith Nyabadza-St Francis**
## Chairperson
Overseeing and organising programs & safegaurding on the ground. Developing structure and capacity building programmes.
## **Zimbabwe Board Advisors**
## **Mr Simon Matsvai**
Sustainable Farming Programme Advisor
## **Ms Rumbidzai Chijiri**
Personal Growth & Education Programme Advisor
## **Ms Tendy St Francis**
## Secretary
Accounting, Operational procedures, Architecture & Infrastructure Program, Governance and Reporting
## **Ms Chi St Francis**
## Treasurer
Accounting, Operations & IT, Programme Development, Digital marketing, Fundraising, Governance & Reporting
## **Mrs. Mercy Hatendi**
Safeguarding-training strategies, Operational Procedures and Governance.
## **Mr David Nyamurera**
Operational procedures, programme development and registration
## **Ms Ruth Tapfumaneyi**
## **UK Board Advisors**
Entrepreneurism Advisor
## **Ms Christina Adetiba**
Operational procedures, Governance and Reporting
## **Mrs. Tsitsi Masukume**
Safeguarding advisor.
## **Ms. Tamuka Chitemere**
General Guidance
**Mrs. Annette Mashingaidze** General Guidance
13
## Meet The Team
## **Sainted Roots Rural Team**
## **Mr Stanley Makoni**
Rural Farming Projects Manager
## **Mr Enoch Chibika**
Shenayeguta Farming Projects Supervisor Tree Grafting & Budding
## **Community Champions**
## **Mrs Makoni**
Njanike Village
## **Mr Mbauya**
Shenayaguta Village
## **Mr and Mrs Chikuruwo**
## **Mr Enock Nyabadza**
Assistant Shenayeguta Farming Project Supervisor Construction Projects
ChikuruwoVillage
## **Mr Mutondoro**
Gandanzara / Mutondoro Village
## **Mrs Melodious Gudoricharima**
Homestead Maintenance and Hospitality Supervisor
## **Mr Sandzira**
Jecha Village
## **Mrs Chipo Nyabadza (Mai Tapi)**
Assistant Homestead Maintenance and Hospitality
## **Consultants and Support**
## **Mrs Mashaya**
Agriculture Specialist
## **Emmanuel Manyati**
Training and Community Counselling Consultants
## **Mrs Enock Nyabadza**
Project support - on standby
14