Las Tejedoras
Una bolsa menos, una tortuga mas!
In 2007, in El Astillero, Nicaragua, a team of dedicated women embarked on a mission to protect the local marine life by cleansing the shores from discarded plastic bags, which pose a threat to marine species, specifically sea turtles.
This team, known as Las Tejedoras, or "The Weavers" is a collective of 17 entrepreneurs and artists who repurpose plastic bags into recycled threads that are then hand woven into tapestries and fashion items. In 2018 Casa Congo started a collaboration with Las Tejedoras, providing them pro bono design, business tools and training to launch their art worldwide.
So far we have…
Recycled over 70,000 small plastic bags
Provided employment to 17 women
Supported over 100 indirect beneficiaries
Funded the construction of 3 homes
Funded 5 of Las Tejedoras’ children to go to university
Las Tejedoras mission is to protect the ocean and create economic opportunities in the community of El Astillero. By setting an example of waste upcycling, their goal is also to educate. Since 2007, Las Tejedoras have grown from a collective of 10 women to 17 women and our collection has evolved from 5 basic items to over 50 different fashion and interior design products.
A key partner of this program is Rockflower, the global venture philantrhopy fund focused on women’s empowerement programs , who has supported Casa Congo and Las Tejedoras since 2017 with seed funding and mentorship.
Casa Congo’s main objective is to empower Las Tejedoras to run their own design social enterprise to achieve economic independence and continue in their environmental conservation efforts. From setting up logistics partnerships to developing an ecommerce platform with a new product catalogue, Casa Congo is actively promoting Las Tejedoras works in Nicaragua and all over the world.
El Astillero, the village where Las Tejedoras live and work, has a daily average income of $3 / family with many people living in conditions of poverty. The income from purchasing Las Tejedoras art is split 50% for the 17 Tejedoras, 40% for Casa Congo and 10% for logistics and overhead. The women use their 50% to cover household expenses, invest in their children’s education and support their extended families. Casa Congo uses its 40% to fund local community projects, such as bamboo social housing, or conservation education for the local kids.
“We are artists, entrepreneurs and mothers who are proud to protect our oceans and create a better future for our children.”
Senelia del Socorro Vargas Sevilla