A boy named Emmanuel walks the streets of the road to Havana every day, carrying the sweets that his mother Yuraima makes at home for him to sell.
Her story reached social media thanks to activist Yureibys Torresilla, who shared an emotional account on Facebook with a direct appeal for civic solidarity.
Torresilla mentions that he has been watching the boy walk with his load for a long time: "There are moments when I see him very exhausted on the road, as if wanting to scream for someone to buy all his sweets and let him go home," he wrote.
This Wednesday, he decided to take action: he bought the 38 candies that Emmanuel had been unable to sell, at 120 pesos each, and paid 5,000 pesos, leaving him the change. But the gesture didn't stop there.
The activist accompanied the child home and returned the pancakes to Yuraima so she wouldn’t have to make new ones the next day.
"I bought him 38 candies for 120 pesos, but I went back with him to his house so that his mom could receive the same candies I bought him, so he wouldn't have to make any tomorrow," he explained.
With the money received, Emmanuel would be able to buy food. "Today Emmanuel can buy a carton of eggs, perhaps for breakfast," noted Torresilla, who concluded his post with a phrase that captures the harshness of the scene: "There are moments when I am left speechless."
The activist acknowledges that the situation of this child is not an isolated case. "Emmanuel's story is not unique in Cuba, here in Sancti Spíritus, but I am moved by the way this child expresses himself, as if he has lived a life when he is just starting out," she wrote.
His request is clear: "If you see Emmanuel around, at least buy him a candy, so his burden becomes a little lighter."
The case of Emmanuel is part of a phenomenon that has intensified with the economic crisis. The organization Food Monitor Program warned in 2025 that child labor is spreading in Cuba amid a socio-economic and migration crisis.
Moreover, he pointed out that the children selling food on the streets of Cuba are exposed to violence and lack of protection, amid a growing crisis that forces them to take on adult responsibilities.
Similar cases have been documented in various provinces: a 10-year-old boy was selling coquitos on the street last June; Joelis, 14 years old, was selling polvorones in a park in Santiago de Cuba last April; and an 11-year-old boy was collecting cans in the early morning in Camagüey this same month.
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