bold idea
Improve the emotional well-being of children and young adult survivors of emotional abuse in Madagascar by providing a trauma-informed, social-emotional intelligence program that fosters self-love, emotional self-awareness, and healthy relationships and drives positive, community-wide changes.
organization overview
Omena is ending the intergenerational trauma caused by emotional abuse by providing skills-based social-emotional education to children and young adults in Madagascar. Through integration into the school curriculum, social and traditional media campaigns, and survivor-led training, Omena’s preventative, evidence-based approach aims to break the cycle of abuse before it can be repeated. By empowering survivors to heal and educate about abuse, Omena aims to create a generation of cycle-breakers who possess greater self-esteem, inner strength, and healthy relationship skills. Omena’s vision is to create a resilient future for Malagasy communities by driving positive change through the power of emotional well-being.
Personal Bio
Francesca Raoelison is a social entrepreneur, educator, and advocate working to break the cycle of emotional abuse through Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and community-driven solutions. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Omena, a nonprofit that has empowered over 13,750 youth, educators, and parents across Madagascar and beyond with tools to foster emotional intelligence, resilience, and healthy relationships.
Francesca’s path to this work is deeply personal. Growing up in Madagascar, she witnessed how emotional abuse—often invisible and normalized—can quietly shape lives. Motivated by her own experience, she launched Omena to challenge these norms through SEL-based education, national advocacy, and partnerships with institutions like UNICEF, and the Ministry of Education.
A graduate of Brown University and the University of Utah’s Master of Business Creation program, Francesca brings expertise in leadership development, nonprofit sustainability, and social impact strategy. Her work has been featured by TEDx, Forbes, UNICEF, and the Boston Globe. She is also a Dalai Lama Fellow, Echoing Green Fellow, and Clinton Global Initiative University mentor.
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