To remain the leading development agency working with vulnerable groups in farm communities and rural informal settlements that facilitates the provision of sustainable livelihood programmes through participation and gender sensitive approaches

• Responsiveness
• Transparency
• Accountability
• Openness
• Honesty
• Integrity
• Tolerance
• Commitment
• Pro-activeness
• Professionalism
• Participation
• Gender Sensitivity
• Consistency

• To improve the quality of life of vulnerable groups in former large-scale commercial farming areas and rural informal settlements
• To address the immediate relief, recovery and social protection needs of vulnerable groups in former large-scale commercial farming areas and rural informal settlements
• To lobby for the rights and improvement of the welfare of vulnerable groups in former large-scale commercial farming areas and rural informal settlements

Farm Community Trust of Zimbabwe was formed in 1996 by Save The Children (UK) and the Commercial Farmers’ Union with the active support of the General Agriculture and Plantation Workers’ Union of Zimbabwe (GAPWUZ) and the Government. The organisation was established to respond to the urgent needs of an estimated two million people living and working on large-scale commercial farms in Zimbabwe. It was also designed to respond to demands from farmers and government on the farm worker community development at a national level.

The organisation was founded on the basis of Save the Children (UK) Mashonaland Central Farm Worker Programme. This was particularly made possible by the goodwill that developed between farmers, farm workers and government agencies through the implementation of the programme. The Farm Worker Programme was initiated to introduce primary health care into the commercial farming areas. In the 1990s, it developed into an integrated development programme encompassing early childhood development, women’s clubs and adult literacy.

The introduction of democratic participatory structures at the farm level - the Village Development Committees (VIDCOS), into the programme was a turning point, as these provided the communities with a way to take ownership of social developments, which affect their lives. Community development is enriched when farm workers and farmers come together through the farm VIDCO to take control of development in their own communities. Ward Development Communities (WADCOs) help farm workers to take control of the development in their wards and participate at district level.
FCTZ recognises that the only way to ensure sustainable development is through a process of empowering farm workers to take part in the decision making process. It is for this reason that the Trust works through existing structures of the commercial farmer organisations, farm workers organisations, Rural District Councils (RDCs) and sector ministries, which play a critical role at local level farm worker community development.
Commercial farms are private property and access to the farm worker communities can only be achieved by developing communication and trust with farmers and their representatives. The Trust has established provincial teams, who work in close collaboration with all stakeholders at the provincial level. The provincial teams together with the relevant RDCs, sector ministries and farmers' organisations implement and monitor the programmes in the provinces.
FCTZ is operational in former large-scale commercial farms and rural informal settlements in four provinces: Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West and Manicaland.