The popular Cuban comedian Limay Blanco showcased an unusual story in the realm of humanitarian aid, which is the focus of his ministry 'Cristo cambia vidas', when a needy mother received help from another low-income family.
In a recent live broadcast on Facebook, the actor gave a ride to a Cuban mother who had asked for help to feed her children, and he decided to take her to the homes of the donors who offered to provide some food.
However, the surprise came when the comedian went to the address provided by one of the donors and found himself lost in some dirt alleys in the middle of a settlement called 'El Tamarindo', where a handful of precarious homes were clustered together, which Limay described as a "come and go."
In one of the wooden houses, with a roof made of metal sheets and a partially dirt floor, the comedian encountered another donor who, under the name of Irianis, welcomed them into her humble home with a bag of food for the needy mother.
Upon witnessing the conditions in which the donor lived, Limay was impressed by the generosity of those who live in poverty, yet still possess a strong sense of solidarity and are willing to share what little they have.
In Irianis's house, there was no refrigerator, so one act of solidarity led to another, and Limay ended up asking for help in his broadcast to buy one for the woman, whose daughter had three small children between the ages of five and eleven.
To this end, he asked his followers to donate whatever they could to buy a refrigerator for the generous family, stating that he would need to raise about 50,000 pesos, or around 150 dollars, plus a little extra for the transportation of the appliance to the settlement of El Tamarindo.
At the beginning of the year, Limay had an emotional moment by handing over a new home to a Cuban family, with the main goal of improving the quality of life for a girl with a disability.
The house was delivered during the traditional New Year's dinner, a charitable event that is part of the philanthropic activities led by Blanco through his solidarity project 'Christ Changes Lives'.
“Here is the formal handover and the reaction of Emily's family, the house #44 that was delivered at the New Year's Eve dinner for 270 people in need,” wrote the comedian alongside a video that captured the moment and posted it on his social media.
Characteristics of a "come and go" neighborhood
'El Tamarindo,' like most of the informal neighborhoods, is characterized by the casual nature of its constructions and the adverse conditions in which its residents must live: the houses are made from makeshift materials, and in many cases, the bathrooms are little more than improvised spaces without connections to sewage systems.
However, despite the adversities, the residents strive to keep their spaces clean and organized, reflecting a daily struggle to survive in a place forgotten by the authorities.
As "drop-in" spots proliferate in places like 'El Tamarindo', the lack of opportunities and housing solutions for those migrating within the country in search of a better life becomes evident.
These improvised communities reflect the structural inequalities of Cuba, where thousands must find their refuge amid mud and precariousness, building their homes with the little they have at hand.
One of the major problems facing these "arrive and occupy" settlements is that the regime, instead of providing livable conditions, conducts mass evictions.
In 2020, the authorities in Havana attempted to evict the residents of an illegal settlement built in the municipality of Cotorro, disregarding the risks involved in forcing people onto the streets during the coronavirus pandemic that was affecting the country at that time.
A similar situation occurred in 2021 when Cuban authorities demolished an illegal settlement of more than 50 houses built in the town of Jamaica, located in the San José municipality, in Mayabeque.
All of these actions by the regime were part of a campaign against illegal constructions in Cuba, commonly known as "llega y pon," directed by the leader Miguel Díaz-Canel in 2020.
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