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The Washing Machine Project

Alleviating the burden of handwashing clothes and empowering women in low-income and displaced communities.

The Washing Machine Project is a UK-based grassroots social enterprise that designs, manufactures, and distributes manual washing machines called the Divya Washing Machine to communities worldwide. They work with corporate partnerships, local organizations, charities, and in-country partners across 13 countries to provide an alternative solution to the burden of handwashing clothes.

The organization was founded with the mission to alleviate the burden of handwashing clothes and empower women in low-income, remote, and displaced communities. Their work addresses the fact that up to 50% of the global population still hand washes their clothes, a task that predominantly falls on women and girls and consumes significant time that could be used for education, income generation, or rest.

Since 2019, The Washing Machine Project has made a significant global impact by directly improving the lives of over 57,000 people through their innovative washing machine distribution programs. Their work spans multiple countries including Iraq, Poland, Uganda, the United States, South Africa, Mexico, Kenya, and others, partnering with major organizations like Oxfam, Care International, UNHCR, and UK Med to reach communities most in need.

Impact model

The Washing Machine Project creates impact through a collaborative distribution model that partners with major international NGOs, local charities, and in-country organizations to deploy their manual Divya Washing Machines in communities where handwashing clothes is a significant burden. By working with established organizations like Oxfam, Care International, UNHCR, and local partners, they can effectively reach low-income, remote, and displaced communities across 13 countries.

This approach directly addresses the time burden placed on women and girls who spend hours handwashing clothes, freeing up time for education, income-generating activities, family care, and rest. The project has successfully distributed hundreds of washing machines across more than 40 programs globally, creating measurable improvements in quality of life for tens of thousands of people.

Impact metrics

Since 2019, The Washing Machine Project has directly improved the lives of over 57,000 people. They have distributed hundreds of Divya Washing Machines across more than 40 programmes globally, operating in 13 countries including Iraq, Poland, Uganda, the United States, South Africa, Mexico, Kenya, Kiribati, India, Republic of Congo, Greece, Gaza, and Ghana.