The Washing Machine Project

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Great to see this project on the local regional news last night. It is the work of a group of people, led by Nav Sawhney.

Visit the website to find out more. They also have a range of social media sites and other resources.

The Washing Machine Project was founded in 2019 by British, ex-Dyson, Engineer Navjot Sawhney. After leaving Dyson, he moved to South India to make cookstoves with Engineers Without Borders UK, where he met his neighbour Divya. Divya's struggle with everyday tasks inspired Navjot to find a solution. He promised her a washing machine, and when he went back home, he developed the first prototype. 

Since then, The Washing Machine Project has conducted ethnographic research in 17 countries, interviewing over 3,000 families, including Uganda, Jamaica, Nepal, India and the Philippines, to gain insight into their washing tendencies. The Washing Machine Project has partnered up with some of the most prominent international NGOs, such as UNCHR, Save The Children, Oxfam, Care International and Plan International.

The Washing Machine Project has successfully carried out pilots in Iraq and Lebanon and received orders from multiple countries in excess of 3,000 washing machines. In 2023 The Washing Machine Project’s plans are to fulfil these orders and scale up across numerous countries.

The Washing Machine Project has the vision to create a world-leading organisation, which brings together Innovation, Research and Development to solve some of the world’s most pressing humanitarian and development challenges.

By providing displaced and low-income communities with an accessible, off-grid washing solution, our mission is to empower women with the time to take charge of their lives.

The details of the Divya washing machine are listed here.




The project has been developing for some time and won the Nichols Award earlier in the year.

This would make a great addition to the work we do on Han's Rosling's 'Magic Washing Machine' TED Talk, to explore a sustainable alternative to washing by hand. Great work! An ideal little case study for sustainable development options in geography.


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