Over the last year, some of our distributors have been working with a selection of charities, but we wanted to take some time to highlight one in particular. The AIG Remote Laundries initiative recently ticked over 25,000 cycles across four laundry stations using Speed Queen machines throughout the Northern Territory, which is a truly huge amount of laundry processed!
The AIG, or Aboriginal Investment Group, is an Aboriginal corporation established in 1988 with the goal to create stronger communities and sustainable development and prosperity for Aboriginal people. They operate within the seven northern regions of the Northern Territory and are 100% Aboriginal-owned and privately funded through a range of sponsors. The AIG runs a variety of projects, such as the creation of several community stores, tourism parks, housing projects, as well as their Remote Laundries project.
Remote Laundries
For more information, check out Remote Laundries' website here!
One issue identified by AIG, particularly in the more remote northern aboriginal communities, is their poor infrastructure and access to amenities that many Australians would consider necessities. As laundry experts, we totally understand the impact that clean laundry can have, from preventing diseases, to simply just better mental health, a little clean can go a long way. This is why our distributors have been working with AIG to create several laundry facilities in the Northern Territory.
The Remote Laundries project was launched by AIG in 2019, with three main aims;
1. Improving health
Diseases like scabies (a contagious itchy skin condition) run rampant in many northern Aboriginal communities. This disease, spread by mites, creates itchy rashes, which when scratched can lead to more serious diseases such as staph infections, rheumatic heart disease and kidney disease, especially in children.
Effective hygiene via laundry has a substantial impact on reducing scabies spread. This has been proven by the Barunga laundry site, which has seen a 60% reduction in cases over the three years it has been active.
Photo courtesy of the Aboriginal Investment Group
2. Improve social and economic outcomes
The remote laundries aim to enrich the communities that they are a part of. This is why the laundry sites employ locally, creating more jobs and bringing the community together.
Data provided by Aboriginal Investment Group
3. Improve quality of life
This final goal is largely a combination of the aforementioned two. Better health outcomes via the elimination of scabies, and the creation of jobs within the community undoubtedly allow residents in these regions to live better, healthier lives. If you'd like to find out more about the costs and benefits of the project, KPMG prepared a document that can be found on the Remote Laundries website.
Want to know more?
If you'd like to find out more about how Remote Laundries help specific groups check out their stories page, which has some great info about all the good work they are doing. And if you are feeling extra generous, they take donations on their website.
Please consider checking out what else the AIG does, and how you might be able to support them!
