From intention to reality
With a background working alongside Indigenous communities and sustainable businesses in Peru, Celina Chigne sought to build a social enterprise that would enhance the holistic well-being of low-income single mothers through flexible work and ongoing support. With this purpose in mind, in 2022 she moved to London to pursue a Master’s in Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship at LSE.
During this time, she carried out research to determine the best way to turn this social business into a reality. Travelling across different regions of Peru, Celina discovered the immense potential that weaving and embroidery hold for offering flexible income to mothers in vulnerable situations, as well as the need for reliable market access among female artisans.
Cultural preservation
Peru holds one of the world’s oldest and richest textile traditions, shaped over thousands of years by pre-Columbian civilisations such as the Paracas, Wari, Chavin and Inca. For them, textiles weren't merely functional; they were expressions of identity, spirituality and social status. Masters in the arts of spinning, natural dyeing, weaving and embroidery, artisans created exquisite designs with remarkable precision — pieces that tell the stories of entire civilisations.
In ancient Peru, women were the ones who spun and wove. Today, this heritage continues in the hands of skilled artisans, who proudly pass their knowledge down through generations of mothers and daughters.
At Casa Cantua, we are committed to preserving Peru’s rich textile traditions and sharing them with the world.
Social impact
Single mothers are significantly more likely to live in poverty compared with partnered mothers (Kramer et al., 2016; Brady & Burroway, 2012; Hübgen, 2020; Crosier, Butterworth & Rodgers, 2007). In Peru, due to the lack of public policies regarding childcare services, they are often forced to choose between working or caring for their children, limiting their opportunities to break the cycle of poverty. Beyond financial constraints, single mothers face psychosocial challenges that negatively affect their health, often presenting high levels of physical and emotional exhaustion due to their parental circumstances (Callaghan et al., 2021).
At Casa Cantua, we focus not only on offering flexible work through weaving and embroidery, but also on reinvesting our profits into social programmes that address the key challenges faced by low-income single mothers.