An 11-year-old girl named Daimarelys Pereña lives in extreme poverty in Nuevitas, Camagüey, under the care of her maternal grandparents, who cannot provide her with a decent life due to their serious health issues.
The Cuban rapper El Funky shared the case on his Facebook page to rally support.
Daimarelys' grandfather, 56 years old, was recently diagnosed with aggressive lung cancer and is vomiting blood. He also has a diastolic murmur in his heart, suffers from chronic asthma, and relies on an oxygen tank to breathe, which completely incapacitates him for work. At the time of publication, he had been hospitalized for 13 days in the municipal hospital.
The grandmother, for her part, has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and also cannot fully assume the care of the minor.
Daimarelys's mother lives in Havana with her other children, and the father never took responsibility for her. When the grandfather is hospitalized, the girl is taken care of by the grandfather's informal guardian sister, who assumes that responsibility informally.
The family lives in a house that was donated to them, but it's in very poor condition. According to El Funky, "a house they were given in terrible condition in La Playita, El Polvorín. They eat because the grandfather's son who lives in Havana helps them occasionally with a transfer or sends them money through postal remittances."
The home has no appliances: they only have an old fan and an electric criollo stove. The mattresses are in such poor condition that they affect the girl's rest.
Anyone wishing to help Daimarelys and her family can contact them via WhatsApp at the number +53 50194045.
In recent weeks, similar situations have emerged on social media, highlighting the precariousness of many Cuban families and the collapse of the state's protection network in the country.
Last week, a story emerged about a 75-year-old woman who cares for her daughter on her own, also in Camagüey. Days later, two similarly critical cases came to light: a blind elderly man in Holguín who lives amidst hunger and blackouts, and a man in extreme poverty in Trinidad.
These are vulnerable individuals who rely on the solidarity of family, friends, and neighbors in the face of the economic and social difficulties that the State does not address.
Social media has become the primary channel of support for these Cuban families in a state of extreme vulnerability.
The food crisis is particularly affecting the elderly, the sick, and people with disabilities. The UN estimates that two million Cubans need humanitarian assistance due to the deterioration of basic services, amid prolonged blackouts, fuel shortages, and the collapse of essential infrastructures.
The regime itself admitted in March that the budget “is not extensive” and does not allow for support for all vulnerable individuals. Months later, in June, it announced that it would require private and state companies to finance social assistance, implicitly acknowledging that the State can no longer sustain it.
Related videos:
Filed under: