“For a more empathetic generation”: this vision, carried by Omena, strongly resonates with the mission of YMCA Madagascar. Through the RISE project, YMCA Madagascar is placing a stronger focus today on mental health and the fight against Gender-Based Violence (GBV), in order to build a youth that is aware and resilient.
On August 22, 2025, YMCA Madagascar staff and members of the Y-Health Club gathered for a training led by the Omena movement, focusing on psychosocial support for young people dealing with mental health challenges.
This session had a dual objective:
- to strengthen participants’ understanding of the impacts of mental health issues and GBV;
- to equip them with practical tools to recognize the signs of emotional and psychological abuse, to develop socio-emotional and social intelligence, and to establish mechanisms of detection, documentation, and referral of cases within the Youth Power Spaces in each YMCA branch.
Several important aspects were discussed, including:
- The different types of GBV: psychological, economic, emotional, and moral violence, often overlooked and perceived as “normal” within Malagasy communities.
- The signs of emotional abuse: belittling, control, manipulation, and gaslighting.
- The causes of abuse: systems of oppression, intergenerational trauma, self-denigration, among others.
- The consequences for victims: low self-esteem, anxiety, emotional dysregulation, mental health disorders, and, in the most severe cases, suicide. It is worth noting that 84% of children in Madagascar have already been victims of psychological violence.
Behind every problem, there is always a solution. With this perspective, Omena proposed several approaches:
- Developing Emotional Intelligence
- Why is it important? Because what is not expressed is internalized. Expressing emotions helps prevent psychosomatic disorders, manage stress more effectively, and make more informed decisions.
- How to develop it? By cultivating self-awareness (introspection on one’s values and needs), self-regulation (breathing techniques and recentring practices to calm the nervous system and improve concentration), and self-affirmation (self-compassion and setting healthy boundaries to protect physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being).
- Developing Social Intelligence
- Why is it important? Because it fosters empathy, enhances harmonious and constructive interactions, and strengthens trust and social cohesion.
- How to develop it? Through active listening, empathy, and co-regulation or creating safe space for yourself, creating the right conditions to support others effectively.
At the end of the training, a mechanism for detection, documentation, and referral of cases was co-created. This represents a crucial step for YMCA Madagascar in establishing a clear and effective policy to address GBV and psychosocial challenges affecting young people.
In conclusion, this initiative illustrates YMCA Madagascar’s strong commitment to building a more empathetic, resilient generation that is aware of the challenges of mental health and youth protection.
