The 75-year-old Cuban woman América Lecusay Camejo lives in Camagüey, wholly devoted to taking care of her daughter Raiza, who is 53 years old, was born with cerebral palsy, and remains bedridden.
Both reside at 4 H Street (back), between 13 and 15, in the Simoni neighborhood, and are facing a shortage that ranges from food to essential items.
Her neighbors, moved and powerless in the face of the situation, alerted the activist Guelmi Abdul, who shared the case on Facebook to seek direct help for these two women.
One of the most pressing issues is the lack of a fan for Raiza. "She is bedridden, enduring the harshness of endless power outages without a fan to relieve her back, and she lacks proper nutrition and many other basic necessities. Nevertheless, América keeps the house and her daughter impeccable, demonstrating infinite dignity amidst the utmost scarcity," she said.
The eldest daughter of the elderly woman, Yumara Hernández, a nurse by profession, does not live with them and is also responsible for her own children. Although she tries to assist her mother and sister, her salary is not enough, and banking obstacles worsen the situation.
In addition to the daily precariousness, there is a bureaucratic injustice: América's labor record, corresponding to the time she worked in Santa Cruz del Sur – the municipality where the family previously resided – was lost, leaving her without a pension. With reduced mobility, the elderly woman is forced to travel kilometers to personally claim the years she devoted to work.
Guelmi noted that anyone who wishes to help this mother and her daughter can contact the eldest daughter, Yumara, at the phone number +53 55382886. "Donations will not be collected through intermediaries," she emphasized.
As a first gesture of solidarity, the activist announced that her group, alongside Lena González Mendoza, will bring a rechargeable fan for Raiza along with a small financial contribution.
The story of America and her daughter Raiza reflects how more and more vulnerable people in Cuba rely on the solidarity of family, friends, and neighbors in the face of the economic and social challenges that the State does not address.
Social media has become the main channel of support for these Cuban families in a state of extreme vulnerability.
The food crisis particularly affects the elderly, sick, and people with disabilities. The UN estimates that two million Cubans require humanitarian assistance due to the deterioration of basic services, in a context of prolonged blackouts, fuel shortages, and the collapse of essential infrastructure.
In May, the Food Monitor Program reported that 96.91% of the Cuban population lacked adequate access to food, and 33.9% of households had at least one member who went to bed hungry in the month prior to the survey.
Millions of older adults face a harsh reality with insufficient pensions and a deteriorating social security system that leaves entire families without institutional support.
The regime itself admitted in March that the budget "is not extensive" and does not allow for all vulnerable individuals to be supported.
In light of the collapse, in June he announced that he will require private and state enterprises to finance the social assistance system, implicitly acknowledging that the State can no longer sustain it.
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