Last year we highlighted a charity initiative that we support: the AIG Remote Laundries Project, Recently, the pilot laundromat, Bagala Laundry in Barunga, turned 5 years old. It's wonderful to see how the laundries have helped improve the quality of life of local residents, but its even more exciting to know that the Remote Laundries Project is scheduled to grow more!
Recently the Governor-General of Australia, His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd) and his wife, Mrs Hurley visited the Remote Laundries Project in Casuarina. This visit was a great opportunity to show off how much the project has grown since their last visit.
Since its launch in 2019, the AIG Remote Laundries Project has:
➡ Spun over 40,000 cycles
➡ Injected $595,000 into the Remote Laundries communities
➡ Provided 100% Indigenous employment, creating 44 jobs
➡ Seen a 60% reduction in scabies presentations and 0 new rheumatic heart disease cases in the pilot community of Barunga
➡ Made savings of $6.01 for every $1 of the healthcare budget
➡ Opened in 4 locations with 6 more scheduled to open in 2024.
Photo courtesy of the Aboriginal Investment Group
What is The AIG Remote Laundries Project?
For more information, check out Remote Laundries' website here!
The Remote Laundries Project is an initiative launched by AIG, or the Aboriginal investment group, in response to the poor infrastructure and access to amenities that many Australians would consider necessities in remote northern aboriginal communities.
You don't have to be a laundry expert to understand the impact that clean laundry can have, from preventing diseases, to better mental health. A little clean can go a long way. This is why one of our distributors, F. L. Costello, have worked with AIG to create four laundry facilities in the Northern Territory.
The Remote Laundries project was launched by AIG in 2019, with three main goals;
1. Improving health to reduce diseases like scabies, which can often lead to more serious diseases such as staph infections, rheumatic heart disease, and kidney disease.
2. Improve social and economic outcomes by enriching the communities they are a part of by employing locally, creating more jobs and brining the community together.
3. Improve quality of life. Better health and better social outcomes mean local residents can live better, healthier lives.
Who are AIG?
The AIG, or Aboriginal Investment Group, is an Aboriginal corporation established in 1988 with the goal to create stronger communities, 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.
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!
