The Washing Machine Project

The Washing Machine Project is a social enterprise dedicated to alleviating the burden of hand washing clothes globally, a burden that often falls on women and girls.

The challenge: during displacement, women and girls often bear the burden of hand washing, spending up to 8 hours per week hand washing and consuming up to 40 liters per washing cycle.  Not only is hand washing extremely time consuming, it also adds to the burden of unpaid domestic work and can lead to chronic back and joint pain.

The solution: a single, standalone, off-the-grid washing machine (WM) that will be affordable, portable, and accessible for everyone. The WM reduces the washing cycle time to 30 minutes instead of 60-80 min, resulting in time saved which can be put towards more productive uses and will reduce the amount of water used per washing cycle to 10 liters instead of 20-40 liters, addressing the water-scarce conditions in IDP camps. Powered by crank-handle, the washing machine does not have to rely on an electricity supply.

Target population: Displaced Women and girls in Iraq.