A Cuban mother identified on social media as Zona Pau posted a video on Facebook in which she details, item by item, the expenses involved in equipping a child for school: over 30,000 Cuban pesos, an amount that equals nearly ten minimum monthly salaries on the Island.
The testimony, which garnered over 78,000 views, comes just as the school year begins, starting amid power outages, a shortage of uniforms, and a deficit of at least 24,000 teachers.
The breakdown provided by Zona is disheartening: the uniform—two pairs of shorts and five shirts at 1,200 pesos each—cost 8,400 pesos. Five pairs of socks totaled 4,400 pesos; a belt was 600 pesos; and the mandatory towels for preschool were 250 pesos each.
The case with school supplies cost 1,000 pesos, the paper to cover three notebooks was 500 pesos; a large notebook, 1,600 pesos, and a small one for studying at home, 200 pesos. The lunch and snack containers and a bottle of water were purchased in stores in dollars, at $1.55 and $2.45 each.
"The prices are through the roof. It's very difficult to obtain absolutely everything, and I know that not everyone can afford these expenses," she stated.
At the time of recording the video, he noted that the account was still not closed: he was missing the cot and the toiletries required by the school. "In total, I feel that it can easily reach up to 50,000 pesos to buy everything one needs for school," he estimated.
Zona Pau, who describes herself as a "first-time mom," requested that her post serve as a space for other mothers to express their anxieties.
"The new school year for many families, instead of being a reason for celebration and joy, is becoming a significant concern," he noted.
The minimum wage in Cuba is 3,210 pesos per month since July, following a 53% increase from the previous 2,100 pesos. Nevertheless, the more than 30,000 pesos spent by this mother represents almost ten months of that base salary.
According to calculations by a young Cuban after visiting several stores, the basic package for back to school - backpack, shoes, snacks, and basic supplies - costs around 34,600 pesos.
The situation is even more severe when considering other recurring expenses: snacks and breakfast can exceed 10,000 pesos per month per child, excluding transportation.
The arrival of the new school year has once again placed many Cuban families in the distress of figuring out how to obtain the necessary supplies for their children amidst scarcity and high prices.
At the end of August, an anonymous post shared in the Facebook group "Madres Cubanas Luchadoras 2" summarized the daily struggles of thousands of women in Cuba: "What are we going to do, the mothers who cannot buy backpacks and shoes for our children, and what do you say about snacks when there isn't even bread with oil because there’s hardly enough to eat, what will we have left to buy school supplies?".
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