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Jacson is 12 years old and was seen this Sunday in the heart of Parque Céspedes in Santiago de Cuba, barefoot, looking at ice creams he couldn't buy. He wasn't asking for anything. He just watched in silence.
Her presence, still yet full of dignity, deeply moved the writer and activist Yasser Sosa Tamayo, who shared her story on Facebook to seek assistance.
“She had a clean soul and dirty feet,” wrote Sosa Tamayo, who recounted the brief encounter with the boy under the scorching midday sun, sitting on a step next to the Cathedral.
Jacson did not beg. He just watched other kids with new shoes, laughing, with ice creams in their hands. And in his gaze, he said, you could see the patience of someone who has learned to endure since a young age.
The little one keeps his only pair of shoes as if they were a relic and only wears them to go to school to avoid breaking them.
Additionally, she lives with her ill grandmother and has two younger siblings, while her greatest wish is to be able to help her family so they do not go hungry.
“She spoke to me with the serenity of those who already know that sadness disguises itself as a smile,” Sosa recounted, who bought her some treats and committed to returning on Wednesday at 2 PM, to the same place.
“Are you really going to help me, man?” the boy asked. “Yes, Jacson. I swear,” he replied.
The writer asked for support to fulfill that promise. Clothes, shoes, a backpack, school supplies, a different afternoon… any gesture that can help lighten, even just a little, the weight that Jacson already carries on his shoulders.
“A child like that shouldn’t learn to endure before learning to laugh,” he wrote. “Because Jacson can’t go on barefoot while the world keeps running.”
Jacson's story is not an isolated case; rather, it is part of a silenced reality in Cuba, where thousands of children face extreme hardships without an effective state protection network.
Just a few days ago, a Cuban mother pleaded for public assistance for her ill daughter, stating that “I only have faith left” in the face of a lack of medications and medical care.
Their outcry revealed a collapsed system that forces families to expose their personal struggles on social media in hopes of receiving minimal assistance.
Institutional abandonment is felt acutely in Santiago de Cuba, where several children were photographed living among walls on the verge of collapse, with no access to food or decent clothing.
On that occasion, neighbors and activists called for an urgent intervention that never came. The official response was silence.
Another recent case highlighted how the regime's inaction exacerbates child poverty. A mother, also in the eastern part of the country, was requesting clothing and food for her young children, one of whom has developmental delays.
They didn't even have mattresses to sleep on, and despite calls for help, there was no government response—only donations from ordinary citizens.
The situation is even more dramatic when poverty is compounded by disability. In Holguín, relatives of two children with cerebral palsy and the elderly in their care pleaded for assistance due to their inability to afford treatments and food.
The home, lacking sanitary conditions and basic resources, represents another face of the real country, very different from what is portrayed by the official media.
Frequently asked questions about the situation of vulnerability in Santiago de Cuba
What touching story has recently been shared about a child in Santiago de Cuba?
The story of Jacson, a 12-year-old boy who was seen barefoot in Parque Céspedes, has touched many hearts. Jacson keeps his only pair of shoes for school and dreams of helping his family escape poverty. His story was shared by activist Yasser Sosa Tamayo, who called for assistance to improve the boy's situation.
How is childhood poverty affecting children in Santiago de Cuba?
Child poverty in Santiago de Cuba has become normalized, with children like Jacson and others selling products on the streets to support their families. The economic situation forces many children to take on adult responsibilities, impacting their childhood and development. Activists like Yasser Sosa Tamayo have denounced these realities on social media.
What role do activists play in Santiago de Cuba in light of social vulnerability?
Activists like Yasser Sosa Tamayo play a crucial role in highlighting the stories of vulnerability and abandonment in Santiago de Cuba. They denounce the lack of institutional support and mobilize resources to assist those in need, such as children, the elderly, and artists neglected by the system.
What is the current situation of the elderly in Santiago de Cuba?
Many elderly people in Santiago de Cuba face extreme conditions of abandonment and poverty. The pension system is insufficient to meet their basic needs, and they depend on charity or individual initiatives for survival. Activists denounce this situation as a reflection of the system's failure to protect the most vulnerable.
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