Reverend Chukwudiebube Nwachukwu is the Founder of the Cope and Live Mental Health Awareness Foundation (CALMHAF) and COLI Mental Health Academy. A passionate and influential advocate for mental health in Nigeria, he holds a Bachelor’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning, a Level 3 Mental Health Diploma, and a Graduate Diploma in Theology. His extensive professional credentials include certifications as a Child Psychologist, Grief & Bereavement Counsellor, Depression Counsellor, Emotional Intelligence Life Coach, EMDR and CBT Practitioner, Couple Counsellor, SAMHI Dual Diagnosis Practitioner, Drugs and Addiction Coach, and International Olympic Committee Sports Administrator. CALMHAF is a non-profit organization registered with the Nigerian Corporate Affairs Commission and based in Enugu, Nigeria. Founded in 2024 under his visionary leadership, the Foundation is dedicated to transforming lives through mental health awareness, education, accessible counseling, advocacy, and holistic wellbeing support. Working closely with Co-Founder and Board Secretary Mrs. Uzoamaka Nwachukwu (a trained Child Psychologist and Emotional Intelligence Coach), he leads a multidisciplinary team committed to evidence-based, compassionate, and inclusive interventions aligned with global standards. Reverend Nwachukwu firmly believes that mental health is fundamental to individual productivity, organizational effectiveness, family stability, and overall holistic wellness. He advocates that emotional and psychological wellbeing is not a privilege but a basic human right, essential for people to thrive, contribute meaningfully to society, and break cycles of stigma, exclusion, and underachievement. This conviction drives the Foundation’s integrated approach, which links mental health support with practical skills, education, and community empowerment so that individuals can achieve greater resilience, purpose, and economic independence.

Key Programs and Initiatives Under His Leadership

Under Reverend Nwachukwu’s guidance, CALMHAF has developed and scaled a broad portfolio of impactful programs through its educational arm, COLI Mental Health Academy (an IAOTH UK-accredited training provider), and its Skill Acquisition Centre:

• GlowPulse Emotional Intelligence Bootcamp — A flagship multi-week program for children aged 8–15 that builds emotional regulation, resilience, digital literacy, anti-bullying skills, play and art therapy competencies, career awareness, and related life skills, culminating in accredited certificates of participation.

• Accredited training courses via COLI Mental Health Academy, including certificates and diplomas in Stress Management, Mental Health and Wellness, Emotional Intelligence, Anger Management & Conflict Resolution, and tailored corporate resilience and workplace mental health workshops for educators, parents, organizations, banks, and government ministries.

• Sustained support for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), particularly at the Special Education Centre, Ogbete, Enugu (ongoing since 2024). Initiatives include vocational skills training (e.g., liquid soap and bleach production), psychosocial support, play therapy, art therapy, sports equipment donations, self-esteem and career guidance, menstrual hygiene education with sanitary pad distribution, one-on-one counselling, teacher appreciation events, and grooming kits.

• Community and school outreaches across Nigeria, encompassing mental health awareness campaigns, screenings, psychosocial support in schools, IDP camps, hospitals, and underserved areas; support for flood victims; and specialized sessions such as Menstrual Hygiene Day programs.

• Free or low-cost counseling and therapy services offering evidence-based approaches (CBT, mindfulness, trauma-informed care) for individuals, couples, and families. Targeted free counseling has been provided for widows and widowers, the elderly, survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), persons with impairments, women experiencing antenatal/postpartum depression, and athletes/coaches.

• Women’s health and hygiene programs integrating menstrual education, reproductive health awareness, free sanitary products, and mental wellness workshops to address the disproportionate mental health burden on women and girls.

• Skill acquisition and vocational training to equip young people with marketable trades, entrepreneurship, and digital skills that enhance self-worth, reduce idleness, and support mental health through purpose and livelihood.

• Policy advocacy, research, and specialized forums, including Men’s Safe Space Forums addressing fatherhood stress and related issues, prison reintegration support, farmer mental health resilience programs, and art therapy bootcamps extending into schools, prisons, corporates, and crisis zones.

• Sport and recreational initiatives that promote physical activity as a pathway to emotional wellbeing.

These efforts have collectively reached over 10,000 people, delivered hundreds of hours of free counseling, trained leaders in mental health first aid, and conducted extensive school visits and crisis responses.

Collaborative Approach

The Foundation actively partners with like-minded organizations and individuals and remains fully open to new collaborations that advance shared goals of stigma reduction, improved access to care, and community resilience. Existing partnerships include the Nigerian Red Cross Society (Enugu Branch), University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Foundation, QAPS (UK), Mental Health Universe (Uganda), Enugu State Ministry of Child and Gender Affairs, Enugu State Ministry of Agriculture, MTN, Alpha Specialist Hospital, Raphatech, and others. These alliances enable joint training, integrated humanitarian responses, corporate workshops, research, and expanded outreach. Through strategic leadership, professional expertise, and a collaborative spirit, Reverend Chukwudiebube Nwachukwu continues to position the Cope and Live Mental Health Awareness Foundation and COLI Mental Health Academy as catalysts for lasting change—empowering individuals and communities to achieve greater productivity, emotional strength, and holistic wellness across Nigeria and beyond.