Amid the energy chaos and fuel crisis affecting Cuba, many citizens are compelled to reinvent themselves to cook with limited resources and manage to survive.
Two videos recently published on Facebook by users Hermes Yasell-CubaFace and Julia Roque Hernández showcase one of the most creative and daring solutions of the moment: a stove made from sawdust, designed for cooking when there is no electricity, gas, or charcoal.
In the video shared by Hermes Yasell, a Cuban identified as Miladys, who lives in Havana, demonstrates step by step how she built her stove, which she calls "El Futututo."
She explains that she has to set it up every night when she returns from work, just when the impact of the blackouts is felt the most. "I haven't had water in the house for over a month, and now without gas or electricity, there's no choice but to improvise," the woman comments while preparing the makeshift device.
The system, although ingenious, reflects the extreme precariousness that Cuban households face. To create it, a metal can with a round hole in the bottom is needed, through which a metal tube is inserted.
In the empty space inside the can, sawdust is placed and compacted well so that it will burn slowly. The can should be positioned on some iron to keep it off the ground because the fire is ignited from below.
Taking great care not to burn himself, he slowly removes the tube to allow oxygen to circulate and the fire to begin burning the sawdust. Once the flame starts to rise, the stove is ready to cook.
According to Miladys, this type of fire can last several hours, allowing for the optimal use of the limited available resources. However, the process requires patience, skill, and, above all, resignation in the face of a lack of safe alternatives.
On the other hand, in Julia Roque Hernández's video, we can see in more detail how the combustion system works, demonstrating the intensity of the flame and the effectiveness of the invention, although it only allows for cooking with one burner.
These videos have gone viral on social media as a reflection of the harsh reality faced by the Cuban people, forced to resort to survival methods due to the regime's inefficiency in providing basic services.
While the government continues to justify the blackouts and gas shortages with "technical problems" or "lack of fuel," Cubans once again demonstrate their capacity for resilience and creativity, even at the expense of their own safety and well-being.
The sawdust stove, a symbol of ingenuity and necessity, has become another testimony to the daily deterioration in Cuba, where survival is a daily struggle against darkness, hunger, and the lack of essential resources.
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