[Unified Purpose] Faith Sadiku from Faith N Friends Horse Rescue & Sanctuary Ep. 16

Opening Thoughts on Health and Capitalism

Faith Sadiku (FS): You should never make money on the sick, the dying in the poor and the needy. They’ve capitalized on these things and pretty much brainwashed people to think, hey, you take a pill and you’re better. That’s not true. You don’t take a pill and you’re better. It starts with the Earth and it starts with eating healthy. It starts with everything you put in your body, starts with who’s around you, how they make you feel mentally.
FS: But you know that I hate to say it, but it seems like that’s the United States way. Like, give me a pill and I don’t want to do the hard work.

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Introduction and Guest Background

SD: All right. Hello, everyone, and welcome to Unified Purpose, the podcast where we share inspiring tales of compassion, resilience and community spirit. I’m your host, Shannon, Penji’s partnership coordinator, and I’m joined here today with a very special guest, Faith from Faith and Friends. Thank you so much for joining me. I really appreciate it.
FS: Thank you for having me.
SD: Thank you. So could you start by telling us a little bit about yourself, maybe introducing yourself differently than I would and telling us a little bit about Faith and Friends, how it started, what you’re doing now, and anything you think you want to share.
FS: Sure, sure. So I’m Faith, obviously, and in my personal life, I run a family practice that I open to help the community. And in my other full time job that I volunteer, I run Faith and Friends for. And I’m a mother of three and a foster mom as well. I have a special needs son. And then a daughter that’s she’ll be 12 in July.
SD: Oh, she’s the same age as me.
FS: You look about the same age that all you guys I swear, you all look like teenagers at this point. So, yeah, when you get in your forties, you’re just like, oh, my God, they’re all young. Either all teenagers to me or whatever. They’re all the same age.
SD: So I kind of get that too. I see people in high school and I’m like, you look like you’re five. I think once you get older, you just see people get younger. Anyway, continue.

Founding and Mission of Faith and Friends

FS: I started Faith in Friends a long time ago, but I incorporated it in 2016 because over the years I’ve seen a lot of my patients struggle. I’ve seen my own struggles. I struggled when I was younger. Horses were always a guiding light for me. I know animals can be for other people. Pretty much all the programs we have at Faith and Friends are designed so if I see something in the community where people are struggling, we look into it and see what we can do to help. Faith and Friends has exploded over the last few years. I think that’s because people in the United States are not well mentally. Everything is so negative. Turn on the TV, Facebook—any of it—it’s just negative.
FS: Faith and Friends is a safe place where people can come. We welcome everybody and all walks of life. Our programs are tailored specifically to needs. We have a Reading with the Rescues program where we couple equine therapy with children with disabilities. They get certified speech therapy, occupational therapy, and equine-assisted activities. It’s a one-stop shop for any child with any disability. Many families appreciate this because they can’t afford or access services, especially here in Tennessee where resources for parents with special needs kids are limited.

Horse Rehabilitation and Life Commitment

FS: The horses are always first. We rehab horses that are damaged or abused. We focus on owner surrenders, but take in all types. We commit to them for life. Once rehabbed, they’re assessed for therapy, lessons, and community programs. We show people that if a horse can overcome hardship, so can they. People need hope and uplifting, and we use the horses to show it’s possible.

The Power of Hope and Role Models

SD: I really like the idea of focusing on hope. There’s a lot of negativity out there, and it’s easy for people to fall into hopelessness, especially when life is difficult. Giving people inspiration is important, especially for those without role models. Some people have trouble relating to others, so connecting with an animal that’s been through challenges can be powerful.
FS: Right. Technology, while great, has disconnected us. Our farm is 138 acres and we keep about 34 horses at any given time. At Faith and Friends, you can pick your family—the good kind, without dysfunction. It’s all positive. Everyone is there for a reason, and biases are left at the door. You get to know your neighbors, and diversity makes us stronger.

Diversity and Resilience

SD: I couldn’t agree more. Diversity is so important in every area. Without it, like in chicken populations, you get problems such as the bird flu. When everyone’s the same, we’re not learning or growing.
FS: Right. Diversity brings balance and strength. For example, people often want a full-blooded dog, but purebreds can have genetic health problems, like German Shepherds with hip dysplasia. Mutts, mixed with multiple breeds, tend to live longer and healthier lives.

Choosing Your Family and Safe Spaces

SD: Being able to choose your family is important, especially for those who don’t feel safe or supported at home. We don’t talk enough about chosen family. You’re raised by your community—it takes a village.
FS: Yes, and unfortunately divorce rates in the U.S. are high, leading to blended families, which can be good but also bring challenges. That’s why safe spaces are important. I wish more organizations would do what we do—it works and keeps growing. In my medical practice, I see depression and anxiety as top issues. Mental health is taboo, but everyone experiences it. We need to normalize seeking help and having support systems.

Lifestyle Changes Over Quick Fixes

SD: We need to focus on mental health more as a culture. Creative approaches like yours are important. Some mental health issues require medication, but many can be addressed with lifestyle changes.
FS: Absolutely. In the U.S., there’s too much focus on making money from the sick and needy. People are told a pill will fix everything, but true healing starts with healthy eating, positive surroundings, and mental care. Life is more rewarding when you work for it—just like learning to walk as a baby, you have to get up after you fall. Surround yourself with people who lift you up. That’s what Faith and Friends is about—bringing each other up and getting back to basics.

Happiness, Capitalism, and Support Systems

SD: It’s wonderful to have something like this when capitalism pushes quick fixes. Happiness often drives our search for remedies, but lifestyle and relationships are key. Supportive people won’t cure a painful illness, but they make life better. What’s your volunteer process like?
FS: We don’t advertise—it costs money. We’re 100% volunteer-run, so every penny goes to the programs. People find us through word of mouth and Facebook. They fill out an online form, then attend our monthly orientation and complete background checks. They choose from over 20 teams, like our feeder group, which handles daily horse care. Most feeders are family units, and I train each person. Once trained, they commit to a specific day each week.

Elderly Horses and Lifelong Value

FS: Right now we have about 70 people on the feeding team, though numbers change as volunteers come and go. Our horses also change—some come in, some leave, some get sick. At the moment, 12 or 13 are on feeding schedules, many of them older. In America, everything is treated as disposable, but it shouldn’t be that way. If a horse has carried your children for 20 years, you shouldn’t discard it because it’s old. We do the same with people, putting them in nursing homes and forgetting them.
FS: Horses over 20—considered geriatric—are still in our therapy and lesson programs. We show people that being older doesn’t mean you can’t contribute. They may not do what they once did, but they still have value. This applies to humans too. We commit to our horses for life.

Cultural Views on Aging

SD: I agree. Learning how other cultures value their elderly is eye-opening. My friend from Russia thinks of aging as a privilege. Once, she told my mom she looked “so mom-like,” meaning it as a compliment. In our culture, that’s seen as an insult, which is sad. We should value getting older and the work poured into family life.
FS: Exactly. Here, once people aren’t seen as “useful” in the workforce, they’re undervalued. It’s heartbreaking. Empathy has been lost. In countries like Iceland, parents can take two years of paid leave without losing their jobs. Here, if you get 16–18 weeks, you’re lucky. That’s not putting families first. We need a cultural movement to bring back empathy, family care, and true community.

Asking for Help and True Giving

SD: Hopelessness and negativity make people less likely to ask for help. Our culture isn’t built on helping the “regular guy.”
FS: Right, and asking for help shouldn’t be looked down on. Too often, people help for their own ego. For example, feeding the homeless is good, but it doesn’t solve the bigger problem. I remember a foster child saying all he wanted was a family—not the food or gifts people gave him. In Tennessee, there are 9,000 foster children. Being a foster parent is hard, but those who do it for the right reasons make a real difference. America needs more selfless giving, even in small amounts.

Selfishness and Vanity in Society

SD: If you can help, you should. Capitalism as a cultural foundation breeds selfishness and greed.
FS: I tell young women at Faith and Friends that vanity is fine, but aging is inevitable. Pretending you’ll escape it is unrealistic. Society idolizes youth, but there’s value in getting older, and we should honor that as much as we do youth.

Seeing Beauty in Age and Life Stories

SD: I think being a caring, good person is more beautiful than appearance. Elderly people have such interesting life stories. I didn’t have loving grandparents, but I’ve known elderly neighbors who were beautiful because of their lives, not their looks.
FS: You’re absolutely correct.

Age Range and Inclusivity at Faith and Friends

SD: You’ve talked about youth coming to Faith and Friends. Do you have a wide age range of participants?
FS: Yes, we accept all ages. Some rescues require volunteers to be 16 or older, but we don’t. We have mothers with newborns, toddlers, and school-age kids, as well as people in their 70s and 80s, veterans, retirees—anyone who wants to help. We place them where they feel comfortable. They choose to be there, which means they truly want to help.

Mentorship and Life Experience

FS: Many older volunteers mentor younger ones, showing them the value of age and experience. They may not ride horses like before, but they share stories and skills. Life experience is educational for the young. We’re also developing a mental health program for adults, in addition to existing youth programs.

Volunteer Flexibility and Community Support

SD: Giving people the choice to participate is important. When something becomes a forced commitment, even if it’s enjoyable, it can start to feel like a chore. Flexibility helps, especially when volunteering is meant to help people as well as the cause.
FS: Exactly. Our feeding schedule is flexible. If someone can’t make their day, they post in the group to swap or get coverage. We have such a supportive team that I’ve only had to step in two or three times in a year. We trust our volunteers, and we understand that people have lives and can get burned out. That’s okay.

Closing Remarks

SD: You’ve been listening to Fully Managed, brought to you by Penji. Check out the show notes to learn more about today’s guest and about Penji, the human-first creative subscription service. Head over to Penji.co. And if you’re still listening, it would mean the world to us if you shared this podcast with a friend and subscribed.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/faith-sadiku-9a63a671

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