Following our successful Giving Tuesday campaign in December, which raised £17,000 (+GiftAid) thanks to the incredible generosity of our supporters, we wanted to share an update on how this funding is helping to create lasting change.

As part of our wider 2025 year in review, this update highlights the progress made through our Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programme in the fokontany of Volambita and Soatana in rural Madagascar — and the real impact your support is already having on community health and wellbeing.

Thanks to the commitment of local communities and the dedication of our field teams, all planned WASH infrastructure has now been completed and is fully operational. This marks a major milestone in improving access to safe drinking water, strengthening community governance, and promoting healthier hygiene practices — with lasting benefits for families, especially young children.

The project is scheduled to run until August 2026. While important work remains, the progress so far has been transformative.

Why This Matters

Before the project began, families in Volambita and Soatana relied on unsafe water sources, including the Makay River. Open defecation was widespread, and poor hygiene practices contributed to high levels of waterborne disease — particularly among children under five.

This WASH project was designed to tackle these challenges head-on, with a clear and simple goal:
to sustainably improve access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene, leading to better health outcomes for entire communities.

🚰 Safe Water Infrastructure Now in Place

All planned water and sanitation facilities have been successfully constructed and are now in use, giving communities access to safe, protected drinking water for the first time.

An official handover ceremony marked the transfer of responsibility for infrastructure management to the communities themselves. The event was attended by local authorities, including representatives from:

• the Mayor’s Office
• District Administration
• Civil Protection
• Education services

This formal handover is an important step towards long-term sustainability and local ownership.

👥 Community Ownership at the Heart of the Project

Strong community governance is essential for lasting impact. In each fokontany, community-based management associations have been established to oversee the operation and maintenance of the new facilities.

These groups:

• have agreed and validated their own statutes and internal regulations through General Assemblies
• manage a community contribution system to fund maintenance and repairs

Each water user contributes 200 Ariary for three water containers, or the equivalent value in rice. This system helps ensure the infrastructure can be maintained locally and independently in the years ahead.

🧼 Promoting Healthy Habits

Alongside infrastructure, behaviour change is key. Hygiene promotion and community sensitisation activities continue, focusing on:

• the importance of good hygiene
• correct handwashing at critical times
• consistent use of latrines

These sessions support gradual, sustainable behaviour change and will continue through to the end of the project.

📊 Local Monitoring and Capacity Building

To support long-term success, three Community Agents have been selected and trained from within the beneficiary communities.

Before the HoverAid field team departed, these agents received training in:

• WASH principles
• community engagement
• data collection and reporting

They now conduct regular checks on water infrastructure and WASH practices, submitting monthly monitoring reports. HoverAid supports their work by covering essential transport costs, ensuring monitoring activities can continue consistently.

📈 Early Results Speak for Themselves

The progress achieved so far is significant:

• 90% of households are now using safe drinking water (up from 0%)
• Open defecation is decreasing, with continued efforts underway
• Use of functional latrines is steadily increasing
• Correct handwashing practices are improving across the community

By August 2026, the project aims to achieve:

• 100% of households using safe drinking water
• At least 70% of households using a functional latrine
• Over 50% of the population practising correct handwashing

🌱 A Story of Change

Before the project, every household depended on unsafe river water. Today, the vast majority of families are accessing clean, safe supplies — and communities are actively managing and protecting these vital resources themselves.

The establishment of strong community associations and the training of local Community Agents has built confidence, ownership, and sustainability. Hygiene and sanitation practices are improving steadily through continued engagement and follow-up.

Looking Ahead to August 2026

While progress has been encouraging, challenges remain — particularly around accelerating latrine adoption and sustaining long-term behaviour change. Over the remaining project period, key priorities include:

• strengthening sanitation and latrine-use campaigns
• reinforcing hygiene behaviour change activities, including Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS)
• continued monitoring and monthly reporting
• consolidating community management systems for long-term sustainability

A Strong Foundation for Lasting Impact

The HoverAid WASH project in Volambita and Soatana is progressing well and has already delivered meaningful, life-changing improvements. With continued effort and strong community leadership, we are confident the project will meet its targets and leave behind a lasting legacy of improved health, dignity, and resilience.

Thank you to all our supporters who make this work possible 💙