Dreams drive passion, and when that passion is pursued with cheer, audacity, and relentless zeal, its ripple effect often travels far beyond borders. This is the story of Itofa Ivarah, a Nigerian whose journey from community service at home to global education advocacy abroad reflects how purpose, when nurtured, can scale impact.

Oxfam’s Global Education Movement and a Call to Justice

Oxfam Ireland has officially announced the launch of the Global Education Movement (GEM), an initiative designed to strengthen global citizenship education across Ireland.

The launch took place on 16 January 2026 at Wexford Opera House and was hosted by the Minister of State of Ireland Neale Richmond. The day marks a significant milestone in empowering

This movement is fully supported by Irish Aid, marking a significant step toward closing long-standing gaps in community-based education.

According to reports by The Irish Independent, the Oxfam education movement is focused on addressing the root causes of global injustice, not just the symptoms.

GEM seeks to empower individuals and communities with the knowledge, tools, and confidence needed to engage critically with issues such as gender justice, climate responsibility, migration, and economic inequality.

At the heart of this movement is Itofa Ivarah, Oxfam Ireland’s Global Citizenship Education Officer. Speaking on the vision behind GEM, Itofa emphasized that education remains the foundation of justice.

Through workshops, online learning modules, scholarship opportunities, and initiatives like the Gaisce Bronze Award, GEM will operate across 24 locations over the next two years, leveraging Oxfam’s 45 stores nationwide as hubs for learning and action.

Itofa Ivarah, Church on the Street, and My9jaFoodBank

Itofa Ivarah’s leadership within Oxfam is deeply rooted in lived experience. A Nigerian who came to Ireland on a scholarship, his passion for humanitarian work began long before international recognition.

At just nineteen, he founded Church on the Street, a nonprofit organization that now serves over two thousand families and children from vulnerable communities in Nigeria with warm meals, education, and spiritual support.

Church on the Street operates in partnership with My9jaFoodBank, a sister organization with a simple but powerful vision: ensuring that children in school are well fed.

As Nigeria’s first food bank focused on serving schools, My9jaFoodBank

works in rural and underserved communities, including areas where children often learn under extreme conditions.

The goal is clear, improve learning outcomes by addressing hunger, one of education’s most overlooked barriers.

Itofa Ivarah is a Hive Global Leaders Fellow (2019) and Young Professionals Bootcamp Fellow (2020), Itofa is also an educator in training, having completed a degree in Biology Education at the University of Benin.

He was awarded a Master of Arts - MA, International Development & Management at the University of Bradford and he's currently pursuing a Postgraduate Degree in Global Citizenship Education at the Maynooth University.

His work and pursuit on education consistently centers on rewriting narratives about African youth, proving that being young and African can mean leadership, innovation, and community-driven impact.

Conclusion: You Are Only as Big as the Size of Your Dreams

Itofa Ivarah’s journey is a reminder that impact does not begin with titles or platform, it begins with conviction.

From leading initiatives that feeds children in underserving Nigerian communities to shaping global education policy in Ireland, his story reflects what happens when you dream and allows it to grow without limitation.

The Global Education Movement is more than a program, it is an extension of a life dedicated to justice, service, and belief in collective action and perhaps the greatest lesson here is simple: when dreams are matched with action, their reach can be global.