In a show of solidarity and community support, a group of Cubans launched a fundraising campaign on Monday to assist two elderly street vendors in the city of Cárdenas, who have devoted much of their lives to working on the streets.
The initiative originated from a post made by Christian Arbolaez in the Facebook group "Cardenenses en Facebook," where he asked if anyone remembered the woman who sold peanuts at the corner of Vives and Calzada.
Arbolaez acknowledged that, to his surprise, the woman continues to sell peanuts in the same spot, just like another older woman who sells Chinese zucchini.
The young man and another member of the group, identified as Kiriart, discussed the idea of offering help to these women, who, despite their advanced age, continue to work to survive.
"We are going to raise a minimum of 20,000 CUP for each one. There are more than 42,000 people in this group, and if just 5,000 of us donated 100 CUP, we could reach and exceed this goal," he noted.
Arbolaez explained that Kiriart will be the person responsible for collecting the funds and delivering the donations to the vendors.
He added that, in case money cannot be donated, any type of donation will also be accepted, such as women's clothing, perfume, soap, or other similar items, which will be collected at Refinería 476, corner of Coronel Verdugo.
The collection will be carried out through various channels, including transfers to cards in CUP and MLC, as well as donations via PayPal and Zelle.
Finally, Arbolaez defended the initiative by arguing that these two vendors have been constant figures in the lives of the people of Cárdenas, becoming an integral part of the city's cultural landscape for many years.
The elderly in Cuba constitute one of the most unprotected and vulnerable groups, facing a severe lack of government support. This issue leaves them exposed to problems such as shortages of medicines and food, further exacerbating their helplessness.
This situation has led to activists often focusing on the elderly.
Recently, a young Cuban delivered humanitarian aid to a vulnerable elderly person in the municipality of San Cristóbal, Artemisa.
In several photos shared in the Facebook group "Revolico San Cristóbal," the young Arlhey Camero is seen with the elderly man at a bus stop that leads to the town of San Diego in that area.
Last month, the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights (OCDH) presented its Seventh Report on the State of Social Rights in Cuba 2024, revealing significant insights into the Cuban reality.
The non-governmental organization highlighted in the document that "89% of Cuban families are suffering from extreme poverty," which is one percentage point more than last year and 13% higher than in 2022.
One of the most significant pieces of information is that "7 out of 10 Cubans have stopped having breakfast, lunch, or dinner due to a lack of money or food shortages."
According to the OCDH, "the most affected by this food shortage are individuals over the age of 70."
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