A 12-year-old girl walks the streets of Havana selling cookies and chewing gum to help her mother and younger sisters, while her family survives in an abandoned medical office because a cyclone completely destroyed their home.
His story was documented by content creator David, from the account @david_vela_ayuda_humanitaria on Instagram, who bought all the goods from the little girl and accompanied her to her home.
"The house collapsed on us. We no longer have a home, but I live in an abandoned office that we occupy," the girl recounted. Inside the place, there are no appliances. They cook with charcoal because they don’t have a gas stove. The only electric pot they own rarely works.
"There is absolutely nothing. We don’t have a fridge, washing machine, television, or anything. We hardly do anything," the little girl described.
Nights are not a rest either. "At night, every time I go to bed, I can't sleep because of the heat and the mosquitoes," he confessed.
The girl also revealed that her school attendance is irregular for a reason that sums up the extreme precariousness of her living situation: “Sometimes I don’t go to school because my shoes are broken.”
When the content creator asked what was needed, the response was straightforward: "If you can help me, buy me clothes, shoes, and food, because I have none."
The girl's mother was interviewed by the content creator. The woman recalled the moment when they lost their home. "When the cyclone came, I was scared because the house was already on the verge of collapsing, and we took shelter here. A few days later, the house completely fell down."
The protagonist of this story "is only 12 years old, and at an age when she should be playing, studying, and enjoying her childhood, she has to go out on the streets to sell sweets to help her mother and little sisters," David said.
Other cases of minors selling food in Cuba
In 2026, reports of minors selling food on the streets of Havana, Santiago de Cuba, Camagüey, Las Tunas, Sancti Spíritus, and other provinces of the country have increased significantly.
In September, two girls were selling sweets in Camagüey to help their mom and their story sparked a wave of solidarity on social media.
That same month, the case of a 10-year-old boy selling garlic and bread on the street was reported. The young boy had not eaten when he was found.
In August, two children aged 13 and 11 were selling bread on the street to help their families, and in July, the plight of minors working because their mothers are ill was documented.
The authorities of Santiago de Cuba acknowledged in September an increase in cases of child labor and begging in their territory.
Despite the fact that the , known as the Code for Childhood, Adolescence, and Youth, explicitly prohibits child labor and classifies begging as a form of exploitation, the economic crisis is pushing entire families into extreme situations.
Related videos:
Filed under: