Norman and Sybil Macdonald come from South Africa and previously ran another children's home in Zimbabwe. They started St Marcellin Children's Village in Hatfield, Harare in 2002 and with the help of an Italian organisation, Associazione Spagnolli-Bazzoni o.n.l.u.s slowly built up the village to incorporate its own nursery and pre-school. In 2014, in the true following of St Marcellin whom the village is named after, they successfully opened a primary school on site accepting other local children to help fund the venture. This is a part of their vision of sustainability which also includes self-sustainable systems for water and food security.