The past three months have been eventful for AiNA Soa: the FAWAY project continues its rollout in central-western Madagascar, our Swiss and Malagasy team ran for a good cause at the Wings for Life World Run, and a new piece of equipment is finally protecting our missions in the field. Here’s a look back at these three highlights.
FAWAY: Four Months on the Ground, 387 Lives Trained
It has been four months since the FAWAY project (“First Aid For Women and Youth”) hit the road in central-western Madagascar, from Betafo to Morondava. Its goal: equipping women and young adults with first aid skills, to multiply the number of people able to support their communities’ resilience.
During this first round, each of the four target districts was visited once: 15 of the 16 planned training sessions were carried out, allowing 387 women and young adults to benefit from free first aid training, in partnership with the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
The overall goal for this stage has been exceeded, and our tracking indicators remain positive, even though some districts haven’t yet reached the desired number of participants. One area to watch going forward: improving communication ahead of each visit. A challenge that hasn’t dampened the team’s enthusiasm for the rest of the project.
Wings for Life World Run: Running to Support Our Mission
On May 10th, our AiNA Soa team — made up of members based in Switzerland and Madagascar — took part in the Wings for Life World Run, a global race supporting spinal cord injury research. Among the 346,527 participants from around the world, our 34 runners covered a combined 384 kilometers.
Beyond the athletic challenge, the race carries a double impact: registration fees go directly toward medical research, and thanks to our generous sponsors, every kilometer our runners covered helped fund our work in Madagascar.
A wonderful reminder that sport and solidarity can move at the same pace. We’re already looking forward to next year’s race!
A Canopy to Protect Our Missions on the Road
Every year, our Mazda BT-50 covers more than 20,000 km across Madagascar to train Malagasy communities in first aid. For the ten years we’ve had it, our luggage and training materials simply traveled under a tarp.
But that protection has shown its limits: last year, despite the team’s careful packing, the tarp could no longer hold up against the weather, and several Vonjy AiNa booklets meant for our participants were destroyed. This year, a piece of luggage went missing entirely, likely stolen in traffic or in a parking lot.
These incidents led us to launch an appeal: raising funds to purchase a canopy for our pick-up truck. A heartfelt thank you to all our generous donors who answered the call, especially during the WFLR period!
Thanks to your support, we can now travel with greater peace of mind, focus fully on our mission, and stop worrying about our luggage on every trip.
Looking Ahead
Between fieldwork, sport, and logistics, this quarterly review captures the spirit of AiNA Soa well: moving forward step by step, thanks to our partners, donors, and volunteers. Thank you to everyone who makes this work possible — the next chapter of FAWAY and our upcoming missions are just around the corner!
Mirindra