Abraham is an orphan. He is one of roughly 30 children living at an all-boys orphanage in Zagazig, Egypt.

While it is technically legal to foster a child in Egypt, it is not culturally acceptable to do so. Adoption is not a viable option. This hasn’t seemed to bother young 8-year-old Abraham.

“He was so smiley and very lovable,” said Andrea Burke, recent graduate of Washington State University (WSU) and founder of Wash Their Worries Away.

Burke traveled to Egypt with her family in December 2010 to assist both an all-girls and all-boys orphanage. Her mother, Suzy, has had experience with this in the past.

Suzy Burke was born in Egypt, but moved to the U.S. when she was young. Her first trip back was in 2009.

“When I went back,” said Suzy Burke, “I had relatives that had been helping out at orphanages for a long time. They took me there, and they asked us if there was anything we could to do help them out.”

With the assistance of her Rotary group in Redmond, she was able to raise $40,000 and purchased the all-girls orphanage a new bus.

“When I got the money for that, I decided to go back in 2010,” she said. “I decided I was going to take my kids so they could see their cultural heritage.”

The trip inspired Andrea Burke to seek out a way to help on her own. When she asked the all-boys orphanage director what they needed most, she was surprised by the answer.

“At first, it was funny because he told me it was a washing machine,” she said with a laugh. “I thought that was random. But then I started thinking about it more and it’s such an amenity that is unappreciated.”

She didn’t just want to buy your average, everyday washing machine. An industrial washing machine made more sense, except that can cost approximately $5,000.

In an effort to raise enough money, she started Wash Their Worries Away and registered the group at the WSU campus in Pullman.

“My goal is to raise $5,000 for them, for that specific amenity,” said Andrea Burke. “The money will be sent straight to the director and from there he will buy it.”

So far, she has raised approximately $3,000 for Wash Their Worries Away. She had some help raising the money on campus. One of her biggest supporters was the student organization Cougar Entrepreneurs.

“As a club, it’s a platform for students to come together and brainstorm entrepreneurial ideas,” explained Louis Lanthier, president of the Cougar Entrepreneurs. “We were looking for philanthropy to get involved in, it was perfect as she was just starting up.”

After placing first in a competition, Lanthier and the rest of the group decided to donate the winnings, $300, to Wash Their Worries Away.

Andrea had plans to return to Egypt once she raised enough money, but the recent revolution there has made things difficult.

“The plan was to raise the money, then I would buy and deliver the washing machine,” she said. “I would love to go back. It depends on when I finish raising the money and what Egypt looks like at the time.”

The Burke family returned from Egypt on Jan. 3, just a few weeks prior to the uprising. Despite what the social and economic climate in Egypt looks like, Burke wants to move ahead with raising money.

“I think the people that run the orphanage really do try to make it a loving environment and do the best that they can,” she said. “But really, there are just not enough people. I think increasing their amenities would make it easier since there aren’t enough people to take care of them.”

Abraham and the rest of the boys don’t have a lot of possessions. They sleep three to a room in the orphanage. They live hard lives, says Burke, but they are happy. She thinks giving them this amenity is something that could help make their lives a little easier for a while.

“The reason I chose to do a washing machine, instead of food or other basic needs, is because it’s a more sustainable option. People will always need food, so you always have to pay for that. This is something they can use in the long term.”

More information about Wash Their Worries Away and how to donate can be found at www.washtheirworriesaway.org.

Alex Peery is a student in the University of Washington Department of Communication News Laboratory.