The mother from the municipality of Cacocum, Holguín, who made a heartfelt request for food for her children following the passage of Hurricane Melissa, has just received a completely new house thanks to the solidarity of thousands of Cubans both inside and outside the country, coordinated through the project of activist Noly Blak.
The housing, valued at $6,000, was provided as part of the 22nd reconstruction initiative of the solidarity project "Houses for Cuba," promoted by the Holguin influencer and activist.
“Thank God and all of you. We did this together,” said Blak while handing over the keys to the home, in a video that quickly went viral on social media.
The story of this mother became known weeks ago when a video shared by the activist displayed her despair after losing everything due to Hurricane Melissa.
"I don't want anything; all I want is food for the children," said the young woman, on the verge of tears as she showed her four young children.
The testimony, recorded in the town of Peralte, became a symbol of the humanitarian crisis faced by many rural families in Cuba.
At that moment, the mother recounted that she had not received state assistance and that she was surviving thanks to the solidarity of her neighbors.
Weeks later, following a massive social media campaign, Noly Blak announced that over three million Cuban pesos had been raised, and today confirmed that the house was ready.
In the images shared on TikTok and Facebook, the moment when the mother and her children enter their new home is captured, amidst applause and tears.
The house cost $6,000, and the activist handed over to the beneficiary the remaining funds from the project: a box full of banknotes in Cuban pesos, collected during the spontaneous fundraising.
Additionally, the woman shared that she has received over 250,000 Cuban pesos in direct donations from people who were moved by her story.
"I never thought so many people cared about me. Thank you to everyone who helped me. My children have a roof over their heads again," she expressed.
The case has been praised as an example of citizen solidarity in the face of the inefficacy of the Cuban state, which did not provide assistance to the family despite them losing their home entirely.
"This was not the government; it was the people helping the people," stated Noly Blak. "We showed that it is indeed possible to do good, even when the country is falling apart."
The Noly Black project, which has already built or repaired more than 20 homes in rural communities of Holguín, is fully funded by voluntary donations from Cubans both on and off the island.
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