Here in Chile, nanas are an institution. Short for the English word “nanny,” nanas are the ultimate superwomen: an admirable mix of babysitter, chef, and housekeeper, many middle- to upper-class Chilean households would fall apart without their invaluable help. As an American who has lived in a number of developing countries throughout my life, I realize that the concept of hiring help for many of the daily chores that I was raised doing myself is not a novel one. What sets Chile apart from other countries is the level of confidence, reliance, and trust with which nanas are endowed. Many Chilean families form strong relationships with their hired help, especially as their nanas commit to working for them for years or even decades.
The problem is, what if you are a foreigner just moving to Chile? Or a younger Chilean couple that is moving into their own apartment for the first time? Or maybe just a busy family that has neither the time nor energy to devote to completing daily chores as well as finding a reliable housekeeper? For these demographies, it can be a daunting prospect to find a person whom you can not only 1) trust to occupy your house while you are gone during the day, and 2) trust to do an outstanding job with chores.
Chilean startup HogarImpeque is seeking to fill this need with an online, on-demand cleaning service.