Amalna Foundation is a grassroots community organization founded in Chicago in 2018. In 2019, it registered a local organization in Iraq known as Amalna Foundation for Community Building. And in 2023, Amalna founded the Kapwa Outreach and Information (KOI) Institute to spearhead its programs in the United States. Learn more here. https://koi-institute.org. In 2024, to establish its representation in the global sphere, Amalna established the AMALNA Kapwa Organisation (AKO) in Zug, Switzerland.
Born amidst conflict and hardship, Amalna started in 2017 when founder Edessa Ramos teamed with a group of emergency medical responders in Mosul. Together, they built frontline clinics for civilians fleeing the battles between Iraqi / International Coalition Forces and the extremist group known as ISIS or Daesh.
From 2017-2019, Amalna implemented psychosocial support programs at the Mosul General Hospital and later in its own center in Al Jawsaq. By the end of the crisis, Amalna had served around 50,000 women and children, as well as men and boys.
With the crisis over, the center was handed over to the local community, and in 2020 they built the Amalna School for marginalized and war-affected children and youth. The school was constructed through local resources with the help of philanthropists worldwide.
In Ukraine, in the wake of the Russian invasion, Amalna teamed up with Strategic Edge International to provide medical support and training to volunteers. In August 2022, Amalna partnered with Way to Health, a physical and psychological rehabilitation center for those injured by the war, including the returning wounded defenders and the vulnerable members of their families. Amalna sought funding for its partner, including an ambulance donation that became crucial for frontline missions.
In Nepal, Amalna supports Women Empowerment Nepal, which was founded in 2014 to promote equal opportunities for women and reaffirm their self-determination. The effort to combat sexual gender-based violence started when the WHO cited violence against women as a worldwide pandemic. Since then, WEN and Amalna have helped thousands of women maintain control over their bodies, protect their own safe spaces, and build women’s capacities to lead their communities.
Today, Amalna continues to deliver life-saving assistance to at-risk populations around the world, prioritizing hard-to-reach and high-risk areas. Amalna concentrates on emergency response, transitional aid, stabilization, and community resilience. Since its founding, Amalna has been building psychosocial support centers, women’s programs, child protection programs, livelihood restoration and training, and social cohesion.
In the United States, the KOI Institute partners with local activists who serve migrant and marginalized communities, particularly women and children who are affected by gun violence. KOI’s advocacy and grassroots solidarity program educate people about these situations and build bridges of solidarity and support.
Amalna is the Arabic word for hope.
Kapwa is the Filipino word for kinship.
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