In 1982, eight women in the Monteverde community started CASEM, which stood for Committee of Artisans of Santa Elena and Monteverde. The goal of the organization was to provide a way for women to empower themselves and help their families economically by producing hand-made products in the home and selling them bring them atto the cooperative for marketing.

In those days, many physical and social barriers made it difficult for women to work outside the home and earn money. Men were often the only income providers which meant that women had little decision-making power. Cultural and family norms placed women in their homes. Most people had neither electricity nor running water so women spent many hours taking care of the household and had little time to spend outside the home. In addition, there were few cars and no taxi service so it could take hours to travel to town by foot or horse, making it even more difficult to have a job. Yet many families faced economic issues and could have used additional income.