"Eat it yourself, since you're pregnant." With that phrase, three Cuban migrants gave up the little food they had during their journey to the United States to feed a pregnant woman they barely knew. Years later, she decided to share the story on social media, and her testimony has touched thousands of people.
The story was published on Instagram by the user @aky_joy_, a Latin American migrant who recalled how, while traveling four months pregnant, she met three Cubans who were also leaving the island in search of a better future.
They had gone almost two days without eating.
Even so, the men shared with her everything they had: a little bit of peanuts, some cookies, and a glass of orange juice that barely had "three or four fingers" left.
"Eat it yourself, since you’re the one who’s pregnant," they kept reminding her over and over again.
Although she tried to share the food among everyone, they insisted that she be the one to consume it, not knowing how much longer they would have to walk or when they would find food again.
"They slept sitting down."
Solidarity didn't end there.
When it was time to rest, the three Cubans improvised a bed with their backpacks so that he could stretch his legs.
"Lie down to stretch your legs, because you know... the belly," they told him.
They spent the night sitting while she rested.
“They didn’t care that they were going to be left with nothing, and we didn’t know how many days could go by,” she recalls with emotion.
The woman claims that experience forever changed her perspective on Cuban migrants.
"That's why I am a very grateful person. I cannot sit down with someone else and speak badly of a Cuban or a Venezuelan," he asserts.
In the video, she also addresses the stereotypes that she believes are imposed on Cubans.
"People can say whatever they want about Cubans, that they are arrogant. But they are very supportive. If you are going through a tough time and ten people are living in their small home, they will say: 'Come over here, we can all fit.' That's the essence of being Cuban."
The migrant also took the opportunity to advocate for those who send humanitarian aid to their family members on the island.
"How can they not send food to those people in Cuba? Of course, it's not you who's going hungry," he expressed.
His message concludes with a call to look beyond nationalities.
"It doesn't matter where you're from. It doesn't matter if I'm Cuban or Venezuelan. What matters is having empathy. How can you not feel the pain of someone's hunger? You must be a very bad person."
The video has garnered over 22,000 "likes" and nearly 1,300 comments, many of which were written by Cubans who related to the story.
The most supported comment summarizes the sentiment of numerous users:
"The Cuban does not share what he has in excess. He shares the only thing he has."
Other internet users shared similar experiences. A Cuban recounted that during his own journey to the United States, he gave some of his medications, clothes, and food to a father traveling with a sick child.
"The Cuban is the most generous and supportive being that exists," he wrote.
A Venezuelan user also stated that "Cubans have been the most supportive nationality I've had the pleasure of knowing. They are truly very genuine when it comes to caring for others."
The testimony comes in a context marked by the massive exodus from the island. Since 2021, over a million Cubans have emigrated, while the food shortages continue to worsen. According to the Food Monitor Program, one in three Cuban families experienced food insecurity during 2025, a reality that highlights the significance of the gesture made by those three men who, having almost nothing, chose to share it with a stranger.
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