The Washing Machine Project: More than a Machine

The Washing Machine Project was founded on the belief that washing clothes shouldn’t hold anyone back.

Almost 50% of the world hand wash clothes, spending up to 20 hours per week.

Across low-income, remote and displaced communities this is a global issue that disproportionately affects women and girls.

The Washing Machine Project is here to change that. Working alongside corporate partners, local organisations, charities, and in-country consultants across contexts, we unlock time, income, and opportunity through manual washing machines.

Since the Divya Manual Washing Machine was first developed in 2018, we have distributed hundreds of our machines across households and communities settings; impacting 105,000 people.

But our work goes beyond the machine.

With our network of in-country partners providing local expertise and corporate sponsors providing operational support, we don’t just get machines to where they are needed. We also set up local hubs that act as distribution and community centres, providing ongoing support, opportunities for further education, support for women-led businesses and spaces for communities to come together.

We work with NGOs and humanitarian organisations to strengthen water systems in low-resource areas, support displaced communities with their laundry needs, and help health centres in humanitarian settings give staff more time to focus on patient care.

Now, we are scaling our impact to reach 1,000,000 people by 2030.

Our approach is shaped by three simple principles: