A Cuban emigrant known on TikTok as EduSodi touched the hearts of thousands by sharing the effort he made over several months to install a solar panel for his mother in Cuba, unable to bear seeing her suffer in the heat without electricity.
In a video posted on Sunday on TikTok, the young man shares with emotion the process that led him to make that decision: "I couldn't stand seeing my mother with a fan in her hand, suffering from the heat, and my priority on this trip was to solve that problem for her."
EduSodi, who resides outside of Cuba, made it clear that the installation of the panel was not an impulsive expense but the result of a long period of saving and hard work.
"I worked hard to install a solar panel; it wasn't something that happened in a month. It took a lot of time, sweat, and sacrifice to save up all that money," he explained in the video.
The goal was clear: to provide his mother with some entertainment during the day, to cook with light, and, above all, to stop suffering from the heat in the midst of the blackouts that suffocate the island.
"In the end, I did it, thank God. More than proud, I feel at peace because at least during the day, thanks to that panel, she'll have some entertainment, she'll be able to cook with light, and the most important thing is that she won't have to endure the heat any longer," he stated.
The gesture of EduSodi reflects a trend that has become common among the Cuban diaspora sending energy solutions to their families on the island, in light of the regime's inability to ensure electricity.
A similar case was that of the emigrant Bety Yorja, who in June installed solar panels and batteries in her mother's house with a phrase that summed up the priority of many Cubans abroad: "I won't have many luxuries because she comes before everything."
Private solar kits in Cuba range from 1,500 to 6,000 dollars, an amount that is unreachable for most Cubans, whose average salary is just 13 dollars per month at the informal exchange rate.
The electricity crisis that Cuba is experiencing in 2026 is the most severe in its recent history. Power outages average more than 20 hours per day, leaving citizens with only one or two hours of electricity daily, according to data from the energy monitoring report.
The generation deficit ranges between 2,055 and 2,195 MW, with a real capacity during peak hours of only 935-995 MW compared to a demand of over 3,000 MW. The extreme summer heat further exacerbates the situation, turning the lack of electricity into a public health issue, especially for the elderly.
Although Cuba has over 1,300 MW of installed solar energy, the lack of large-scale storage batteries prevents the country from fully utilizing that capacity, making individually funded solutions from the diaspora the only real guarantee of electricity for many families.
EduSodi concluded his message with a conviction that resonated with those who watched it: "I know that all this sacrifice and expense has been worth it."
Filed under: