Cubans raise money for two street vendor ladies in the city of Cárdenas.

In an act of solidarity and community support, a group of Cubans launched a fundraising campaign this Monday to help two elderly street vendors from the city of Cárdenas, who have dedicated a large part of their lives to working on the streets.

The initiative emerged from a post made by Christian Arbolaez in the Facebook group "Cardenenses en Facebook," where he asked if anyone remembered the lady who sold peanuts at the corner of Vives and Calzada.

Arbolaez admitted that, to his surprise, the lady continues to sell peanuts in the same place, just like another older woman who dedicates herself to selling Chinese squash.

The young man and another group member, 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 only 5,000 of us donated 100 CUP, we could reach and exceed this goal," she pointed out.

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 they are unable to contribute money, any type of donation will also be accepted, such as women's clothing, cologne, soap, or other similar items, which will be collected at Refinería 476, corner of Coronel Verdugo.

The collection will be carried out through various means, including transfers to cards in CUP and MLC, as well as donations via PayPal and Zelle.

Lastly, Arbolaez justified the initiative by arguing that these two vendors have been constant figures in the lives of the residents of Cárdenas, being a part of the cultural landscape of the city for many years.

The elderly in Cuba constitute one of the most unprotected and vulnerable groups, facing a serious lack of government support. This problem leaves them exposed to issues such as the scarcity of medicines and food, further worsening their helplessness.

That situation has led to activists frequently taking care of the elderly.

Recently, a young Cuban provided humanitarian aid to an unprotected elderly person in the municipality of San Cristóbal, Artemisa.

In several photos shared in the Facebook group "Revolico San Cristóbal," the young man Arlhey Camero is seen with the elderly man at a bus stop that leads to the town of San Diego, in that demarcation.

Last month, the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights (OCDH) presented the VII Report on the State of Social Rights in Cuba 2024, with revealing results about the Cuban reality.

The non-governmental organization emphasized in the document that "89% of Cuban families suffer from extreme poverty," one percentage point more than last year and 13% more than in 2022.

One of its most significant data points highlights 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 people over 70 years old."