Washing clothes for a family of nine

Monday, April 20, 2015
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We may not all share the same washing methods but every parent wants their children to have clean clothes. Before I arrived to Namibia, I was mentally preparing to scrub clothes by hand… nine family member’s clothes! But to my surprise, the home had its own washing machine – a luxury in any country even though they share it with another SOS family.  

Amanda Martinez doing the SOS children's laundryThe washing machine made things easier but laundry day at the Village was still an adventure! The funny thing is, is that I don’t mind doing laundry. I actually do it every day back home in Canada for my family of five. The adventure started with the washing machine itself! To keep the electricity costs down, the machine cannot stay plugged in. So I had to unbox and then haul the washer from the living-room to the outside porch where the available water source was located.

Then, I had to remember how to hook up the machine. At one point the main hose started spraying everywhere because I didn’t fasten the hose tight enough. But all the laundry got done in the end!

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