Hand-cranked washing machines given to refugees

engineering careers  Hand-cranked washing machines given to refugees

Navjot Sawhney – the inventor of the hand-cranked washing machine – has headed out to Iraq to give away 30 of the low-cost device to refugees.

The machines require no electricity, are extremely robust and have been designed to be simple to operate and easy to repair.

Navjot Sawhney – a former University of Bath engineering student – wanted to change this so came up with a simple engineering solution – inventing the hand-cranked washing machine. Sawhney founded the ‘The Washing Machine Project‘ in 2018 to get the machine – nicknamed the Divya – out to those that need it the most.

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Speaking to the BBC Sawhney explained that his two-week trip to northern Iraq to hand out the machines had been a “completely humbling experience”.

The machines are a fantastic example of how a simple engineering solution can give dignity to those without access to electricity and water, who would otherwise need to wash clothes by hand.

The Washing Machine Project manufactures the machines in the UK and distributes them to 15 countries around the world.

The company is now looking at how to best roll the device out in more countries including Uganda, India, Lebanon and Jordan.