Plant-Themed Cotton Placemats from El Salvador (Set of 4), "Desert Plants"

We cannot forget what is important and essential for our loved ones. We often pay more attention to our work and studies, but we need to know that family is what truly fulfills the heart.

My name is Carmen Rengifo. I was born in El Salvador in 1988. I grew up in a very unified and hardworking family. My parents primarily based their education on values, which gave us the best, not only academically, but also personally. They always did everything possible to be with us. It is something that I have always treasured. No matter the situation, they were present.

I studied design and I have master's degrees in business administration and marketing. I'm also a professor of education. I got married in 2013, and Miguel and I formed a beautiful family. Two years later, my daughter was born. At that moment, all experiences of my childhood came to life again and the only thing that I wanted was to offer my daughter all of my attention, like my parents once did for me. I decided to resign from my formal job and start my own project, putting into practice all that I had learned.

Up until then, I only sold a handful of my designs to acquaintances or friends. The one thing I was missing was formalizing a proposition for my entire workshop, which I continued to strengthen with the help of my husband and my family. It was clear to us that we wanted to have sufficient time for our family but, at the same time, we want to be able to help many women who need a job that could offer them a dignified salary while also giving them time to take care of their children.

Everything happened as we dreamed it could. I have the good fortune to have the support of more than ten artisans who work with love and dedication. They are happy in what they do. They are very committed to improving every day, and they feel important for being part of a team that values them and what they do. We have the opportunity to empower them, not only in the technical aspect of the work, but also motivationally. Many of them live in situations that have impacted them and they need more personal motivation.

My dream is to provide employment for many more women and triple the work for everyone. In this way we can have many more opportunities to introduce our work to the world. We work with much love and dedication, and are very happy to be able to work with you. This has been a personal dream for many years. We are offer you unique and quality textiles to adorn your homes.