A Cuban resident in the United States shared on TikTok the transformation of her home in Holguín, and the result left thousands of followers speechless. The before-and-after video of the house, posted by Yoa Cancino, has already accumulated over 133,800 views, 7,466 likes, and 575 comments.
The contrast between the two stages is striking. In the "before" images, there is a humble home with walls painted turquoise, a simple white gate, potted plants, and an unpaved dirt floor. The "after" shows a completely different house: white walls adorned with decorative gray stone cladding, a gate and wrought iron bars in black with intricate designs, a patio paved with cobblestones, and tiered planters with ornamental plants. The outdoor area also includes a swimming pool.
The creator herself confirmed in the comments that the entire work was done in Holguín, responding to several followers who asked about the masons and blacksmiths responsible for the work. "The house is in Holguín, and they made them there. Blessings," she wrote to a user who wanted to know if the grills came from Havana.
The comments section of the clip was filled with congratulations and blessings.
The reactions were overwhelmingly positive. There were numerous messages of admiration and wishes to do something similar. A follower from Camagüey privately requested the contacts of the workers to undertake a similar renovation in her city. Another user simply wrote, "One of my greatest wishes," to which Yoa replied, "May God help you fulfill it; God's timing is perfect, blessings."
This post adds to a growing trend among Cuban expatriates who document on social media the renovation of their homes on the island funded by remittances from the U.S.
The phenomenon is particularly pronounced in eastern provinces like Holguín, where the presence of emigrants in the United States is significant. 92% of the remittances received by Cuba come from that country, and Cubans in Miami send an average of $2,165 annually to their families, resources that in many cases are used to improve homes that the State has been unable to attend to for decades: the housing deficit on the island exceeds 805,000 homes according to recent estimates.
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