JLR launches Clean Clothes Campaign, building sustainable Divya washing machines, as part of its commitment to improving opportunities for women and children across the globe and its objective to attain a net‑zero future.
JLR has teamed up with The Washing Machine Project to help transform the lives of thousands of women and girls in South Africa by building ten community manual washing machines to help a community in need in Diepsloot, Johannesburg.
The Clean Clothes Campaign aims to help tackle the burden of handwashing clothes and promote gender equality by relieving women and children of up to 20,000 hours of chores a week, so they can fully enjoy their rights to work, education, good health and leisure time.
As well as JLR engineers volunteering their skills and time, the year‑long campaign project has seen efforts across JLR’s broader workforce, with over £4,900 of funding raised by its colleagues who are part of the business’s Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage (REACH) network.
The luxury car manufacturer’s talented engineers used their automotive expertise to enhance the design and functionality of the Divya washing machines, to meet the needs of households in the South African villages.
“This project means a lot to me. My grandma used to handwash clothes due to no electricity. It was a privilege to contribute to a product that’s going to change people’s lives in South Africa.”
JO ALEXANDER
JLR LEAD CAE ENGINEER
With support from its freight team, JLR delivered the Divya washing machines, built at its Gaydon HQ in the UK to the communities in South Africa using one of its Defender vehicles.
Mandisa Gordon, JLR’s Finance Business Change Manager, who led the campaign on behalf of JLR said: “JLR is dedicated to making an impact in communities where the need is greatest. We were overwhelmed by the huge support we received from our colleagues in the UK and in South Africa, to make this initiative a success. Participating in food parcels and personal care product deliveries, as well as fundraising, has been some of my proudest moments!”
Former JLR employee Navjot Sawhney, who founded The Washing Machine Project, started this project on a trip to India, engineering cook stoves. Nav was struck by how much time his neighbour would spend doing back‑breaking chores, including hand washing clothes for up to 20 hours each week. He promised her a washing machine, and he developed the first prototype when he returned home and called it Divya after his neighbour. He started the social enterprise five years ago whilst still working at JLR, where he received full support from his colleagues.
“This project will impact over a thousand lives in South Africa for many years to come. I can’t thank JLR enough for their massive support, I knew I could rely on my former colleagues to use their expert skills to support building these machines to such a high standard.”
NAVJOT SAWHNEY
FOUNDER OF THE WASHING MACHINE PROJECT
This project also aligns with JLR’s mission to achieve a net‑zero sustainable future, the project takes a holistic approach to community engagement. The sustainable Divya washing machine operates a 30‑minute wash cycle where it completes a 5kg load‑ with only a few minutes of manual turning ‑ saving up to 75% of time for its user, and halving water consumption. It eliminates the need for electricity and can be recycled at the end of its life due to the materials used to build it. It has large capacity for communal use which meets the needs of big families and women‑led households. Additionally, the machine addresses common physical handwashing issues like chronic back pain and skin irritation.
“Cleaning clothes is essential and should be done by both men and women. I fully support this project because it touches on Sustainability, ESG, and DE&I, aligning with JLR’s mission to positively impact our stakeholders, partners, and extended communities.“
FRANÇOIS DOSSA
JLR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY AND SUSTAINABILITY
As part of the clean clothes campaign, JLR colleagues have also spearheaded other charitable initiatives such as delivering 100 food parcels to families in Diepsloot, South Africa.
JLR stands firm in its commitment to take care of the communities and environments in which it operates and make a positive, lasting impact on the world. Its Engage for Good programme aims to deliver this mission through partnerships with NGOs, employee volunteering, vehicle supply and project funding.
