For 70% of the world’s population, doing the laundry means hours of difficult manual washing. It was this fact that led Nav Sawhney to leave his job as a design engineer at Dyson and try to come up with a way to fix this problem. After six different design iterations, Nav and his team at the Washing Machine Project had come up with the Divya, a hand crank washing machine that uses no power, 50% less water and a fraction of the time.

The machines are built from durable and easy to access materials. When they are distributed, the Washing Machine Project team teaches people how to use them. Locals learn how to maintain and repair the machines during a six month monitoring and evaluation period, helping develop new employment opportunities in the community.

The Washing Machine Project partners with local NGOs to find the people who would most benefit from owning a Divya. Over the last six years they have impacted nearly 30,000 people with their machines. They have been able to deliver these machines with the support of industry, including companies like RS Components. Innovation consultant, TV presenter, and IET vice president Yewande Akinola came to know the project through her work with RS, and describes the approach it takes to sustainable design engineering.

Nav and his team are continuing to grow and expand looking into new potential areas of innovation, like cooking or air conditioning. Organisations can find out more about how to support the project at thewashingmachineproject.org. 

Guests

Navjot Sawhney, founder of The Washing Machine Project

Yewande Akinola, MBE, vice president, the Institution of Engineering and Technology