Two young Cuban content creators cooked and distributed food to vulnerable people on the streets of Santiago de Cuba.
The solidarity initiative was documented in a video posted on Instagram by Briana Espino and by Magguie.
The video shows how they prepared a complete menu with the help of their family: yellow rice, boiled sweet potato, tomato salad, and chicken fricassee.
The preparation of this delicious lunch took place under adverse conditions: without electricity, cooking with charcoal amidst smoke and intense heat.
"There was no electricity, but there was coal, there was smoke, there was heat, and there was a great desire," they narrate in the video.
This is not the first time this group has taken to the streets with pots and containers to distribute food and share with those in need in their community.
"Last time we went out to distribute food, and honestly, we never imagined receiving so much love in return. Messages, comments, people wanting to join in, and that’s when we understood something: when something is truly born, people can feel it," they explain.
The community's response motivated them to repeat the initiative.
The action takes place in the context of a humanitarian crisis affecting Cuba, where instances of people fainting from hunger, individuals scavenging for food on the ground, and a noticeable increase in homeless elderly people have been documented.
In the absence of a state response, Cuban citizens—primarily the youth—have taken on initiatives of solidarity that they document on social media.
The trend includes actions in Havana, Matanzas, Cienfuegos, and Cárdenas. In June 2025, a priest managed to feed 310 vulnerable individuals in Santiago; on December 31, more than 250 needy Cubans received a New Year's Eve dinner in Havana.
Espino acknowledges in the video the multiplier effect of showcasing these actions on social media.
"We know that the most beautiful acts often happen away from a camera, but we also believe that showcasing the good can spark wonderful things in others. They can inspire, they can move... they can make someone see this and say, I can help too."
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