The ImpactHub for Youth and Children Foundation has directly and indirectly impacted more than 10,000 young people and families across Plateau, Benue, and Borno states through education support, mentorship, peacebuilding, and livelihood initiatives.
The founder of ImpactHub, Sunday Ochai, told The PUNCH on Thursday that the organisation was inspired by personal experiences of conflict and hardship.
“This stemmed from my lived experience. I have been at the centre of crises, from religious crises in Plateau State to Boko Haram in Borno State. I have witnessed firsthand how crises disrupt education,” Ochai said.
He added that the loss of both parents during his university years further strengthened his resolve.
“The demise of both my parents meant I had to cater for myself through university. That sparked my passion to ensure that no young person should be limited by crises or circumstances around them,” he said.
Ochai began the initiative informally in 2017 before formally incorporating it in 2021 as the ImpactHub for Youth and Children Foundation.
He noted that what started as the distribution of basic scholastic materials has grown into a structured intervention addressing systemic educational and social gaps in conflict-affected communities.
“The philosophy is simple. Stabilise education, and you stabilise communities,” he said.
Through its Pages of Change initiative, ImpactHub distributes thousands of learning materials annually to over 1,000 students in underserved schools, many of which still require children to share textbooks and lack basic supplies.
“For children whose education has been interrupted, receiving their own scholastic materials represents more than support. It represents recognition,” Ochai explained.
Teachers have reported improved classroom participation, while parents have observed renewed enthusiasm for school attendance.
Recognising that retention requires more than books, the foundation launched Comfort Care to address period poverty among girls.
“Girls lose between 60 and 90 school days annually due to period poverty.
“We provide menstrual health education and a year’s supply of sanitary kits to over 800 girls annually, while also training local women to produce reusable pads,” Ochai said.
He added that the programme not only keeps girls in school but also creates small income opportunities for women in the community.
In areas still experiencing ethno-religious tension, ImpactHub introduced Play4Impact, using football as a platform for mentorship and peacebuilding.
“Even where divisions persist, young people gather every evening to play football.
“We structured those sessions to include mentorship dialogues, conflict resolution exercises, and leadership training. Shared play becomes shared responsibility,” he added.
The organisation’s integrated model attracted international recognition in 2025 when it received the Äänit Prize awarded by the Mandela Rhodes Foundation.
According to Ochai, the award strengthened the foundation’s monitoring systems and supported its expansion in conflict-affected communities.
Ochai, who holds a Master’s degree and PhD from the University of Pretoria, South Africa and currently serves as Head of One Health at the International Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions, said his scientific background informed his community work.
“Weak ecological systems allow disease to spread. Weak educational systems allow instability and inequality to persist.
“The principle is the same — intervene early, strengthen systems, build resilience,” he said.
Beyond individual beneficiaries, he said ImpactHub’s work is reshaping community relationships.
Families report improved stability when children remain in school. Teachers note stronger collaboration across religious lines. Youth participants demonstrate increased confidence and civic responsibility. Women engaged through Comfort Care generate modest but meaningful income.
“In classrooms and on football fields, our metrics are different.
“Not infection curves, but retention rates. Not surveillance outputs, but restored aspiration,” Ochai said.
In communities where conflict has long disrupted childhood, he said ImpactHub is steadily constructing alternative futures, one classroom, one football field, and one young person at a time.
