LIFE IN KAFUNJO: LAUNDRY

Laundry used to be among the most grueling chores at the Project. Prior to getting a new water system installed on the orphanage grounds (see Life in Kafunjo: Water for more info on this), the children would have to carry their laundry in buckets down to the river to wash them. Afterward, they’d carry their wet, heavy clothes all the way back up the hill to the orphanage and lay them out to dry. Now, the children simply carry their clothes to the water system that’s just a two minute walk from their dormitories. To wash clothes, the children fill up buckets with water and scrub their clothes in them by hand using a bar of soap. The children usually wash their clothes two or more times per week, but school uniforms are washed every day.

Prior to Covid, the Project had hired three local women to do all the children’s laundry. However, due to drastic, post-Covid economical changes, they can no longer afford this extra help. Because of this, the children are now in charge of washing their own clothes.