Our Vision and Mission
Why we are here
At Nehemiah Project, we believe in being proactive rather than reactive. Our focus is prevention: helping the next generation break the cycle of alcoholism, drug abuse, violence and poverty.
In Roodewal, we see children growing up in communities where poverty, addiction, and limited education reinforce each other. These aren’t problems children created: yet they’re the ones most affected. We believe it’s possible to interrupt this cycle by walking with young people, helping them imagine a different future, and giving them tools to build it.
Our foundation is simple: love God, and love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 28). That’s why we’re here.
Our inspiration
Our name, Nehemiah Project, comes from the biblical book of Nehemiah. When Nehemiah learned that the walls of Jerusalem lay broken and the gates were burned, he didn’t turn away. He went to rebuild.
We see the same need in Roodewal. When we look at the children and families here, we see broken walls. Lives damaged by poverty and loss of hope. Like Nehemiah, we believe restoration is possible.
“The remnants there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach; the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its (fortified) gates have been burned (destroyed) by fire” — Nehemiah 1:3
Learn to do the right thing
Jesaja 1:17 speaks to us directly: “Learn to do right; seek justice, defend the oppressed, take up the cause of the fatherless.”
This is our daily work. The children we walk with are not responsible for their circumstances. They deserve advocates. They deserve someone who believes in them. They deserve the chance to become the leaders and changemakers their communities need.
Living it out
Our goal is to help shape character around good, love-centered values, and to walk with children toward a future they can build on. This vision lives out through two programs in Roodewal: the Nehemiah Girls Club and Nehemiah Boys Club, after-school programs for children aged 7 to 18.
