When she was 14 years old, Remya Jose's life was turned upside down by a family crisis (危机).
Remya, who lived in a small village in India, learned that her mother was ill and her father would have to spend his time caring for her. As a result, she and her twin sister had to do most of the housework 一including washing clothes. To make things even more difficult, the Jose family couldn't afford an electric washing machine. Instead, the two girls would have to do the washing all by hand in the local river, and then carefully carry everything back to their home—a task that took several hours.
Being a good student interested in engineering, Remya wanted to make a washing machine which could be used without electricity. She started studying electric washers to learn how they worked. Remya then designed(设计) a machine that used bicycle pedals(踏板) and chain. To find those items, she and her father went to a local auto shop. Workers there not only gave her the parts, they helped her make the machine!
Here's how the machine works: Remya used a cylinder (圆筒) to hold the clothes and put it in a cube (立方体). Next, she connected the bicycle pedals and the chain to the cylinder. As Remya pushed the pedals with her legs, the cylinder cleaned the clothes just like a regular washing machine.
Remya's invention worked! She had created her own human-powered washing machine—and now a task that used to take several hours took only 30 minutes. Remya's washing machine was chosen from among 25 ,000 entries as India's best innovation! She was given India's National Award and honored by the nation's former president.
The story of this young woman's creative invention spread around the world.
"Remya Jose made a difference," said Jeanine Thomas of The Borden Project, "Her invention saves time and money for the world's poor. Her story shows that with creativity, one individual can improve the lives of many."
