Two sisters who sell sweets daily on the streets of Camagüey to help their mother went viral on social media this week and began receiving donations after their story spread.
The content creator known as Brayansiribilla Tonm found the girls while they were working in the Parcaya area and posted an initial video on Facebook where they explain that they go out to sell every day.
When asked why they do it, one of them replied that it is "to help my mom. To be able to buy food."
The video surpassed 221,000 views and garnered nearly 19,000 reactions. "They are small and fighting for their lives; let's make this reach many people," wrote the creator alongside the post.
After the impact of the first video, the content creator visited the family home and showcased its conditions in a second reel, which garnered over 109,000 views.
The images show a room without a fan that the girls share with their mother, dirt floors, a makeshift bathroom, and a home without a proper kitchen. The family also does not have a phone with an active line.
The mother clarified that the girls are not forced to work. As the creator explained, they go out to sell on their own initiative with the aim of helping their mother and contributing to the household's food needs.
A third video published as a follow-up shows that the family has already received several donations and that the home is clean and organized, despite the mentioned hardships.
Brayansiribilla Tonm urged those who wish to contribute to contact him at the numbers 55898008 and 52769225.
The case adds to a series of similar situations documented in Cuba this year, such as the case of two children aged 13 and 11 selling bread on the street to help their families.
In July, the story of the boy Emmanuel became known on social media, who walks the streets of Sancti Spíritus every day selling sweets, which generated a wave of solidarity.
During the same month, videos shared on social media showed Cuban children selling fruits and others pushing a cart with avocados through the streets of Havana, stating that they are working to support their families amid the economic crisis.
A few days ago, authorities in Santiago de Cuba acknowledged an increase in cases of children and adolescents linked to situations of begging and announced that they are maintaining prevention, monitoring, and control actions, with special attention to several central areas of the city.
The Cuban Observatory of Conflicts recorded 71 reports of child labor and begging in 2025; in 2026, the cases have multiplied in provinces such as Havana, Santiago de Cuba, Camagüey, Las Tunas, and Sancti Spíritus.
In June, the Union of Young Communists denied that child labor existed in Cuba, a statement that sparked a wave of outrage on social media.
In the absence of state responses, citizen solidarity and non-governmental organizations have filled part of the void. The Swiss NGO Camaquito announced this week an initiative of $25,000 to assist 250 families in Santiago de Cuba and Camagüey with food, medicine, hygiene items, and rechargeable fans, prioritizing households in especially difficult situations.
"The situation that many people in Cuba are currently facing is very difficult. Therefore, for us, it is even more important not just to talk about it, but to provide concrete and direct help to the individuals and families in need," stated Mark Kuster, director of Camaquito.
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