HoverAid

14/10/2026

A fantastic video, worth a watch

05/10/2026

25/09/2026

🏥 Madagascar Medical Safari: Ambatolahy

In August, our team returned to Ambatolahy for another Madagascar Medical Safari (MMS) — nine years after we first began working in the area.

Despite difficult road conditions and intense heat, people travelled from far and wide to access much-needed medical care, with some even sleeping and cooking at the local community hall because they had nowhere else to stay.

Over the course of the mission, our medical and surgical teams treated 715 patients, providing care for a wide range of conditions and carrying out complex procedures including cleft lip repairs, appendectomies, hernia repairs and gallbladder surgery.

Among the patients was a 10-year-old child who required surgery for a gallbladder stone, as well as a man showing signs of an impending stroke who was urgently hospitalised and cared for by the MMS medical team throughout the mission.

Another busy and important mission, made possible by our team, partners and supporters. 💙

👉 Read the full Ambatolahy mission report on our website:
https://hoveraid.org/mms-ambatolahy-aug26/

22/09/2026

A lovely feature in the latest The OM and Community magazine shares Chris Evans’ 31-year journey with HoverAid – from a gap-year adventure in Nicaragua to helping get our River Rover into action in Madagascar.

Chris first became involved with HoverAid back in 1994, when he joined a hovercraft project in Nicaragua after leaving school.

Three decades later, he reconnected with HoverAid, using his engineering experience to help update the design of the River Rover hovercraft.

Earlier this year, Chris travelled to Madagascar to join the local team in commissioning the craft, including an 180km hovercraft expedition to Beroroha, where it will now be based and used to support our Madagascar Medical Safaris.

It’s great to see a connection that began more than 30 years ago continuing to support our work today.

👉 We’ve shared Chris’s full article on our website – have a read!

15/09/2026

Meet Antso 👋

Five-year-old Antso lives in a remote village in Madagascar, many hours from the nearest paved road. He was born with a severe congenital heart defect, but the specialist medical care he needed was far from home.

When the Madagascar Mobile Clinic visited his village, our doctors examined Antso and quickly recognised that he needed specialist cardiology care.

With the help of our partners, Antso was connected with La Chaîne de l’Espoir in France, where he was able to receive specialist paediatric heart surgery.

We’re very pleased to share that the operation was successful and Antso is now back home with his family and doing well.

His story is a great example of why reaching remote communities matters. Sometimes a Mobile Clinic visit is just the first step in connecting someone with the care they need.

A huge thank you to the Deichmann Foundation, MHM, La Chaîne de l’Espoir and everyone who helped make Antso’s treatment possible.

Read the full story on our website.

18/08/2026

The story behind FAITH, the RiverRover

Many of you will already be familiar with the RiverRover, FAITH, and its role in helping HoverAid reach some of Madagascar’s most remote communities.

But how did it actually come to be?

In our latest article, HoverAid CEO, John Greaves, takes us back through the story of the RiverRover’s creation. From the ideas and challenges that shaped its design, through the development and hard work that went into creating a hovercraft specifically suited to HoverAid’s needs.

It’s a fascinating look behind the scenes at the journey that brought the RiverRover to life, and the people and thinking that made it possible.

👉 Read John’s full story:
https://hoveraid.org/going-further-to-reach-the-unreachable-a-new-hovercraft-for-hoveraid/

02/08/2026

Our latest Madagascar Medical Safari (MMS) mission took the team to the remote community of Ankavandra, where, despite ongoing security concerns and unexpected equipment failures, they provided 598 consultations and procedures to people with little or no access to healthcare.

The week brought many challenges, but it was also one of reflection.

Before the clinics opened, the team paused for a minute's silence to remember Dr Elisoa, who sadly passed away just a month before the mission. Returning to Ankavandra without her was deeply emotional for the team and the local community alike. She had dedicated so much of her life to caring for people there, and her absence was felt throughout the week.

From complex surgeries and ultrasound diagnoses to treating tuberculosis, malnutrition and other common conditions, the team continued their work with the same commitment and compassion that Dr Elisoa embodied.

Thank you to our incredible Malagasy team, MAF, the local authorities and the gendarmerie, whose support helped make this mission possible.

📖 Read the full mission report on our website to learn more about the journey, the challenges faced, and the lives changed through this mission.

29/07/2026

A few weeks ago, we sent out an emergency appeal for little Lido (Lando), a one-year-old boy whose family walked for an entire day to reach HoverAid's Mobile Medical Service in the hope that someone could help their son.

Following assessment by our medical team, it became clear that Lido urgently needed specialist neurosurgery—care that was completely beyond his family's means.

Thanks to your incredible generosity, our emergency appeal reached its target, allowing Lido and his family to travel to the capital and receive the life-changing operation he desperately needed.

His surgery was a success. While he still has a road to recovery ahead, Lido is already showing encouraging signs of progress. He's eating well, opening his eye for the first time, and continues to be closely monitored by his medical team.

Unfortunately, we aren't able to share photographs of Lido's condition or surgery, as they are too graphic for social media. We hope you'll understand that protecting his dignity and respecting hospital guidance is our priority.

To everyone who donated, shared the appeal or kept Lido in their thoughts—thank you.

We'll continue to keep you updated on Lido's recovery.

20/07/2026

Partner Spotlight: VanillaBazaar

At HoverAid, we're incredibly grateful for the businesses that choose to support our work in Madagascar, and we're proud to shine a spotlight on one of those valued partners – VanillaBazaar.

Through our ongoing partnership, 1% of sales from their MADA Madagascan vanilla range is donated to HoverAid, helping us continue delivering healthcare, clean water and community development projects to some of Madagascar's most remote communities.

We're also delighted to congratulate the VanillaBazaar team on recently joining the Buy Women Built campaign, recognising and celebrating female-founded businesses making a positive impact.

It's partnerships like these that demonstrate how businesses can create meaningful change – supporting Madagascan producers while helping communities access the vital services they need.

Thank you, VanillaBazaar, for your continued support of HoverAid and the people of Madagascar. 💙

Read the full Partner Spotlight on our website to learn more about this fantastic partnership.

17/07/2026

💧 One new well is already making a measurable difference.

Last week, our team returned to Soatana, a small village along the Makay River, as part of our ongoing commitment to support the community.

In 2025, HoverAid worked alongside local people to construct a new borehole, solar-powered pump and water infrastructure, providing reliable access to clean water for the first time. We also helped establish a Community Association to manage and maintain the system, helping ensure a sustainable supply for the whole village.

During our visit, the local Health Agent shared a powerful sign of progress: black-market sales of metronidazole, an antibiotic commonly used to treat infections linked to unsafe water, have fallen significantly since the well became operational.

This is clear evidence of the difference that safe water can make. When clean water is combined with practical guidance on hygiene, washing and sanitation, cases of common water-related illnesses can reduce quickly and community health can improve profoundly.

This is what long-term, community-led change looks like. 💙