Starting here meant acting from a place of familiarity, connection, and responsibility.
Madagascar is home for our Founder and where our work naturally began.
The patterns of emotional abuse we see in Madagascar are not unique to this country. What differs here is the scale and the conditions that sustain them.
The lessons we gain help us understand what might be adapted to other settings and what must remain firmly rooted in the lived experience of this context.
Emotional language is limited and rarely taught
Children grow up without the vocabulary to express complex emotions, making it difficult to understand or manage their feelings.
Mental health support systems are minimal
Approximately 38% of the population lives too far from a health facility, leaving rural residents with very limited access to professional or psychosocial support (EDSV, 2021).
Economic and social stressors amplify conflict
About 75% of the population in Madagascar lives below the international poverty line of $2.15/day With limited resources and constant stress, families often face challenges in managing conflict without resorting to harmful disciplinary practices.
Disciplinary practices often focus on control over emotional well-being
Traditional methods emphasize authority and respect, but can suppress emotional expression and cause lasting harm.
Our programs are built with these realities in mind, from the way we organize ourselves day-to-day to how we collaborate with others.
Meet team in Madagascar
Survivors in Madagascar are trained as educators who help deliver Awareness sessions and Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) in schools and communities.
We collaborate with a network of local ministries, NGOs, schools, that help us connect with communities.
of sessions run /
Social-Emotional Learning
modules delivered
educator hours
caregivers
(parents/teachers) reached
children naming feelings
more easily
Miantso joined Omena as a volunteer and later became the Country Program Officer. She played a key role in launching Madagascar’s first pilot Community of Practice for Social-Emotional Learning and was the first Master Trainer, which allowed the training to expand beyond the capital.
Miantso was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to pursue her Master’s in Community Development & Action at Vanderbilt University in 2023.
Lalarizo is part of the very first cohort of educators. He later invited his wife to join the community, and together, they have used Omena’s tools and methods to improve emotional literacy in his family.
He has shared his experience with other families through our community and awareness programs.
Lalarizo was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to pursue Oncology and Cancer Biology at Drexel University.
If you work with an NGO serving children, youth, or families:
We provide
You can…
training, curriculum, and coordination support.
facilitate local implementation and access.
If you’re part of a school, or educator network / work in a corporate setting:
We provide
You can…
workshops focused on building skills for emotional resilience and conflict resolution.
commit to participation and implementation.
If you work with government institutions or local organizations:
We provide
You can…
evidence-based curriculum and program implementation data.
support policy integration and local outreach.
