Jennifer Raymer, director of the Canadian humanitarian organization Together for Cuba, recounted some of the hardest scenes she has encountered during her current mission on the island: children selling food to be able to eat, homes on the verge of collapsing, families without electricity, and elderly people barely surviving alone.
«This could be the hardest post I make during this journey. There are photos that I simply cannot share. People are suffering. Some are close to ending their lives,» Raymer wrote in a testimony published on Facebook.
The activist, who has been engaged in humanitarian work in Cuba for over a decade and spends about four months a year on the island, visited some homes of families in particularly vulnerable situations alongside Laura, a local social worker.
During the day, they provided food and medications to over 50 families.
Raymer reported that he found children selling avocados from a small cart to earn money for their next meal and three minors living in a house whose walls, as he described, were on the verge of collapsing.
He also visited families who had been without electricity for months and had to cook with firewood, as well as elderly individuals living alone.
One of the cases that impacted her the most was that of a family from Eastern Cuba.
"We walked through the mud and tall grass to reach them. Their living conditions were devastating. And there was a 14-year-old boy helping to care for his baby siblings," he recounted.
For Raymer, the situations encountered behind each door reveal a need that is difficult to grasp.
"The stories are endless. The need is overwhelming. And behind every door, there is a person with a name, a family, and a story," he/she wrote.
The activist also recounted another experience during a visit to the "Juan Vitalio Acuña" nursing home in San José, where around 50 elderly individuals reside, many of whom have no family members who visit them.
Together for Cuba delivered food and charcoal for cooking.
According to Raymer, the household cook suffers from asthma and had been preparing meals with firewood due to a lack of fuel, even though the smoke worsened his respiratory issues.
The activist explained that the most urgent needs of the center are basic products such as rice, beans, meat, vegetables, and oil.
"Sometimes the greatest gift we can offer is not something we bring in a bag, but simply our time. A hug. An ear to listen," he reflected.
The testimonies align with other recent indicators regarding the deterioration of living conditions in Cuba. A survey released this year found that one in three Cuban households reported that at least one member had gone to bed hungry in the previous 30 days.
Together for Cuba ensures the annual shipment of approximately 600 bags containing about 14,000 kilograms of medicines and medical supplies intended for those in need on the island.
After the scenes encountered during his journey, Raymer stated that he will continue with his work.
"I deeply love these people, and I refuse to look away. So we will continue to show up. With food. With medication. With hope," he concluded.
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