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A groundbreaking innovation in domestic chores is emerging from a former Dyson engineer who developed an off-grid, flat-packable washing machine designed for underserved communities. This invention aims to address the burdensome task of hand-washing clothes, which still affects about five billion people living in remote and developing areas. Women and young girls, in particular, face this challenge, often dedicating up to 20 hours a week to laundry.
Navjot Sawhney, the founder of the UK-based social enterprise The Washing Machine Project (TWMP), created the Divya washing machine to ease this workload. The hand-crank device has already been distributed to nearly 500 households across 13 countries, including Mexico, Ghana, Iraq, and the United States. The machine features a rotating inner drum within an outer drum and completes a wash cycle for a 5kg load in about 30 minutes. Users only need to manually turn a handle for a few minutes during the process.
The operation of the Divya machine is straightforward: after filling it with clothes, water, and detergent, the load is left to soak for 10 to 15 minutes. Then, closing the lid, the user turns the handle for two minutes, repeats this two more times with 10-minute resting intervals between spins, and finally drains the water through a tap at the front. This process reduces washing time by up to 75% and cuts water use by half. Sawhney explains, “The machine takes a task that is exhausting and time-consuming and transforms it into something simple, easier to manage, and time saving.” The organisation’s R&D Lead, Laura Tuck, adds that continual refinements were made by directly engaging with end-users, saying, “We went back to the drawing board and really listened to the people we were designing for, for the context in which they lived. That research changed everything.”
Ensuring the Divya machine suits the environments where it is used has been a key priority. For instance, when delivering machines to an isolated Ugandan island on Lake Victoria, the team recognized that complex repairs would be impractical due to limited access. Therefore, they redesigned the device to be more intuitive, simple, and maintainable using local skills and resources. Feedback garnered from workshops and focus groups helped enhance the machine’s durability, reduce physical strain, and improve usability by incorporating strong metal frames, better seals, and more reliable taps. To date, nearly 50,000 people have benefited from the innovation, and the project continues to expand.
Looking ahead, TWMP aspires to positively impact one million individuals by 2030. This ambitious goal depends on building a collaborative network involving NGOs, UN agencies, local communities, and partners such as the Whirlpool Foundation. Starting in early 2026, the project will initiate localised manufacturing in India to bring production closer to users. The organisation is also developing ‘Hubs’ that not only facilitate machine assembly and distribution but also provide training, workshops, and education, amplifying the benefits of the time saved on laundry tasks. Additionally, TWMP is advocating for policy measures that incorporate laundry improvements into broader frameworks related to water, sanitation, hygiene, and gender equality
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