Remote Laundries Project – The Aboriginal Investment Group (AIG)
Who we are
AIG is 100% Indigenous owned and self-funded. The AIG Board, elected by their communities, provides an authentic and meaningful voice. AIG is an agile organisation that finds new solutions to old problems.
Remote Laundries Project
Overcrowding is a serious issue with tragic consequences in remote Aboriginal communities. There have been countless interventions aiming to break the cycle of disease but, without community guidance or individualisation, many fail.
Remote Laundries is a solution driven by Traditional Owners and tailored to the unique needs of each individual community as advised by community members.
Set in a secure shipping container, Remote Laundries provides communities with free access to laundry services via a purpose built and fully automated laundromat, which:
· Improves health of Aboriginal people
· Improves quality of life for Aboriginal people
· Creates employment for Aboriginal people
Key Outcomes – Health
Scabies is a parasite responsible for serious illness in Aboriginal communities.
Tragically, 8 out of 10 Aboriginal children living in remote communities will contract scabies before their first birthday.
Washing with the correct detergent, high water temperatures, and hot drying cycles kills the scabies mite and eggs.
Eradicating scabies in remote communities has so many benefits including increased use of other community facilities including playgrounds, water parks and pools
“This laundry here means a lot to us…It is good to have one of these and it is helping everyone.” – Freddie Scrubby, Barunga laundry attendant
Key Outcomes – Quality of Life
Improved quality of life is delivered with the absence of disease – both primary conditions, such as the painful skin sores associated with scabies, as well as the secondary conditions including rheumatic heart disease and kidney disease, which are commonly caused by repeat scabies infestations.
Remote Laundries also promotes school attendance in communities by keeping children healthy. Similarly, communities with a Remote Laundries unit have reported that access to clean school uniforms have reduced bullying amongst students.
Having access to reliable laundry facilities means that men, women, and children wake up every morning with a sense of pride, greatly contributing to mental wellbeing as much as physical wellbeing.
Key Outcomes – Employment
Each laundry creates up to five jobs for local staff. Employing locals means the money stays in the community. This helps build a stronger local economy that better serves the whole community.
Laundry attendants undergo thorough training at the Darwin unit or onsite upon laundry connection depending on which option better suits the community.
During this training, staff learn how to operate the laundry, undertake daily maintenance, collect data, and provide customer service to laundry patrons.
The laundry also invites opportunities for local apprenticeships in areas such as laundry and dry cleaning or leadership.
Be a part of the solution
Each laundry creates up to five jobs for local staff. Employing locals means the money stays in the community. This helps build a stronger local economy that better serves the whole community.
Laundry attendants undergo thorough training at the Darwin unit or onsite upon laundry connection depending on which option better suits the community.
During, staff learn how to operate the laundry, undertake daily, collect data, and provide customer service to laundry patrons.
The laundry also invites opportunities for local apprenticeships in areas such as laundry and dry cleaning or leadership.
