From Madagascar to a global stage, one survivor’s story is helping youth recognize emotional abuse and reclaim their power.
When Francesca Raoelison, a Master of Business Creation (MBC) founder at the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business, was growing up in Madagascar, violence wasn’t hidden behind closed doors — it was a daily reality. According to UNICEF, over 84% of children in Madagascar are raised in violent environments. “It becomes the norm,” Raoelison said. “We weren’t taught what abuse looked like — especially emotional abuse.”
After moving to the U.S. for school and studying psychology, Raoelison became a sexual assault peer educator, opening her eyes to how deeply violence is embedded across cultures. But instead of accepting it, she decided to challenge it.
In 2019, fueled by her lived experience and backed by a fellowship from Brown University, Raoelison founded The Omena Movement — a global nonprofit empowering youth with emotional intelligence and the tools to recognize and prevent abuse before it begins.
To further strengthen Omena’s growth and operational strategy, Raoelison joined the Master of Business Creation program. The program has provided critical support, strategic insight, and practical tools to scale the organization effectively, allowing Omena to expand its impactful programming and outreach globally.
From Personal Pain to Classroom Change
Omena’s mission is bold: interrupting generational cycles of abuse through social-emotional learning. And it begins where it matters most — in schools.
Their pilot program successfully reached 350 students, clearly demonstrating the power of early intervention. The curriculum emphasizes empathy, understanding boundaries, and emotional literacy. It is delivered by trained peer- and community-educators who create relatable and safe spaces, allowing youth to engage authentically and openly. Unlike traditional awareness campaigns, Omena’s approach prioritizes prevention through proactive education.
Raoelison said, “We’re giving young people the language and tools we never had. That’s how we stop the cycle.”
Survivor-Led, Community-Powered
Initially volunteer-led, Omena has evolved into a survivor-led organization. It now operates actively in three regions of Madagascar, with plans to replicate this successful model in other areas affected by systemic oppression, providing crucial healing and education.
Since its inception in 2019, Omena has trained over 350 community educators, partnered with 15 schools, and reached more than 15,000 students, parents and teachers. Additionally, Omena’s impactful online campaigns and media presence have touched more than one million people worldwide. Omena’s name encapsulates its mission. In Malagasy, Omena means to “give” and mena means “red” — a nod equipping young people with the tools to recognize emotional red flags. The movement’s logo symbolizes the strength and resilience youth gain, serving as a powerful reminder that change doesn’t merely happen, it must be intentionally taught.
Building a Generation That Breaks Cycles
Supported by fellowships and grants, Omena continues to scale its mission with clarity and purpose, aiming to establish support systems that are accessible to every child, everywhere. Omena plans to expand its social-emotional learning curriculum to new countries, enhance its digital presence for broader accessibility, and train additional survivor-educators to leverage their lived experiences for community leadership.
“We’re not just creating awareness,” Raoelison said. “We’re creating the kind of education that empowers young people to break patterns and become changemakers.”
To learn more or support the movement, visit omenamovement.org.
