28/02/2026
National Importance of the STRIVACAS Programme (Initiated by UACAS)
The STRIVACAS Programme—an annual national intervention of the Unified Association of Campaign Against Su***de (UACAS)—represents a transformative movement advancing public health, mental wellbeing, zero hunger, and poverty alleviation across Nigeria. Officially inaugurated in 2026, the programme runs annually from February 19 to March 22, positioning it as a strategic, calendar-driven national campaign for preventive health, humanitarian service, and socio-economic upliftment.
Origin: A Sacrificial Endurance Trek that Sparked a National Movement
STRIVACAS was birthed from the historic 33-day endurance trek undertaken by Omale Jeff Ejuojo, whose journey symbolized sacrifice, resilience, and unwavering commitment to saving lives and promoting healthy living.
This symbolic act of endurance laid the moral and visionary foundation for STRIVACAS—transforming personal sacrifice into a structured national programme that mobilizes communities, institutions, and policymakers toward collective action for wellbeing and social development.
Core National Importance of STRIVACAS
1. Advancing Zero Hunger Through Humanitarian Interventions
STRIVACAS integrates food outreach, nutritional education, and support to vulnerable populations, directly addressing hunger at the grassroots. By mobilizing donations, partnerships, and community participation, the programme contributes to reducing malnutrition and ensuring that disadvantaged citizens receive both nourishment and dignity.
2. Promoting Poverty Alleviation and Economic Empowerment
Through health awareness, capacity-building outreaches, and humanitarian support, STRIVACAS tackles poverty from a multidimensional perspective. By improving physical and mental wellbeing, it enhances productivity, employability, and economic resilience—key drivers for lifting individuals and families out of poverty.
3. Strengthening Preventive Healthcare and Healthy Living
The programme emphasizes early detection of chronic diseases, lifestyle modification, and preventive healthcare education. This reduces the national disease burden, lowers healthcare expenditure, and supports Nigeria’s long-term health sustainability goals.
4. Addressing Mental Health and Su***de Prevention Nationally
As a flagship initiative of UACAS, STRIVACAS provides a powerful platform for mental health advocacy, psychosocial awareness, and su***de prevention education. It fosters open conversations, reduces stigma, and encourages community-based support systems for mental resilience.
5. Bridging Health, Humanitarian Service, and Social Protection
STRIVACAS uniquely integrates medical outreach, counseling, feeding programmes, and community empowerment—creating a holistic response to interconnected national challenges of health inequality, hunger, and socio-economic vulnerability.
6. Mobilizing Youths as Agents of National Transformation
The annual February–March campaign period galvanizes youths across Nigeria to participate in advocacy walks, sensitization drives, and humanitarian services. This cultivates civic responsibility and builds a generation committed to nation-building through compassion and service.
7. Institutionalizing a Sustainable National Awareness Calendar
By running from February 19 to March 22 every year, STRIVACAS establishes a consistent national cycle of awareness, intervention, and impact assessment. This structured timeline ensures continuity, measurable outcomes, and expanding nationwide reach year after year.
Conclusion
The STRIVACAS Programme stands as a nationally significant initiative born from sacrifice and sustained through organized humanitarian action. Emerging from the 33-day endurance trek of Omale Jeff Ejuojo and institutionalized by UACAS in 2026, it unifies the goals of zero hunger, poverty alleviation, preventive healthcare, and mental health advocacy into one powerful annual movement.
Ultimately, STRIVACAS is more than a programme—it is a national call to action, fostering a healthier, hunger-free, and economically empowered society while nurturing a culture of compassion, resilience, and healthy living across Nigeria.
