It’s easy to assume most people have a washing machine.
But half of the world’s population don’t, which means hand washing.
That might sound innocuous – until you realise it can equate to 20 hours a week of manual labour. Which falls mainly on women and girls.
There’s the physical toll – hands, wrists, backs. And then there’s the opportunity cost.
Because while they’re spending those 20 hours washing clothes, they’re not reading, not studying, not doing paid work, not resting.
Not doing the things many of us do while our washing machine quietly whirs in the background.
That’s why the story of Dr Navjot Sawhney and The Washing Machine Project is so powerful.
In 2017, while volunteering in India after leaving a role at Dyson, Nav met a woman called Divya.
She was hand washing clothes for up to 20 hours a week.
“I’ll get you an electric washing machine,” he said.
But there was no point. They had no running water. No reliable electricity.
The manual work had to continue.
But Nav couldn’t ignore what he’d seen.
As he left the village, he made her a promise:
“I will come back one day and bring you a washing machine you can use.”
He returned in 2019 to show her how her story had already inspired something bigger.
And in 2024 – seven years after that original promise – he came back again.
This time with the machine itself.
A machine that reduced Divya’s laundry time from 20 hours to around 5 hours a week.
Fifteen hours regained.
What would you do with 15 extra hours every single week?
That moment brought tears to my eyes.
But it didn’t end there.
That promise became a mission – refining the design, manufacturing challenges, distribution – with the ambition of reaching millions.
Dr Navjot Sawhney (“Nav”) is Guest #12 of 289 people making an impact on society and the planet.
"A woman would spend up to 20 hours a week for her family hand washing clothes."
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Dr Navjot Sawhney is a London‑born, Indian‑origin engineer and social entrepreneur who received the UK Prime Minister’s Points of Light Award in February 2023 for his humanitarian innovation through The Washing Machine Project, which designs and distributes energy‑efficient, hand‑cranked washing machines to communities without reliable electricity. At the time he was awarded, the Prime Minister invited Dr Nav for lunch at 10 Downing Street, and of course he brought his mum with him. She had recently retired after a 40-year career in HMRC for the government after coming to the UK with £5 in her pocket. What a wonderful point in the story that's unfolding.
Further Information
The Washing Machine Project – https://www.thewashingmachineproject.org/divya-washing-machine
Engineers Without Borders UK – https://www.ewb-uk.org
Points of Light Award – https://www.pointsoflight.gov.uk
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