In Santiago de Cuba, a father took to the streets one Sunday afternoon, carrying his young daughter in his arms and attempting to sell two electrical outlets. His sole aim was to earn enough money to buy spaghetti and feed his four children. The poignant moment was captured on video by Noel Borges and shared on his Facebook profile.
The father explained to Borges that one of his children has autism, and the entire family is living in a school shelter due to homelessness, lacking the means to feed their kids.
"What are you selling?" Borges asked in the video, highlighting the man's desperate attempt to trade household items. "Two outlets from his home just to buy, at least, two packs of spaghetti to feed his child," Borges narrated while recording the father and his daughter.
Borges, witnessing the situation from his home in Santiago de Cuba, quickly stepped in to help. He provided the family with a liter of oil, cookies, a piece of ham, a pack of spaghetti, a bag of rice, and five small packets of juice. He also returned the outlets to the father with a stern reminder: "Take these back and don't sell them; you'll need them at home later."
"Feed the children today and tomorrow, and we'll see what happens next," Borges advised, concluding his charitable act.
Survival Through Selling Personal Belongings
Borges shared his motivation behind the act: "I do it to help those children who are innocent and unaware of the situation we're living in."
This father's plight is not unique. In Cuba, selling personal belongings—ranging from appliances to furniture and even entire homes—has become a common survival tactic. Recently, an oncologist from Isla de la Juventud was fined in 2026 for selling used clothing to afford food, a story that also gained traction on social media.
Escalating Food Crisis in Cuba
Cuba is experiencing its most severe food crisis in decades. According to the Food Monitor Program, 96-97% of Cubans have lost purchasing power for food, with 33.9% of households reporting that a member went to bed hungry in the last 30 days, compared to 24.6% in 2024. Alarmingly, 9% of children under five suffer from severe nutritional deprivation, and nearly half of primary school students do not receive meals at school.
Domestic agricultural production has plummeted by 67% over the past five years, with Cuba relying on imports for roughly 80% of its consumption. The military conglomerate GAESA has been criticized by independent organizations for exacerbating the crisis by monopolizing foreign currency, imports, and food distribution.
Housing Crisis Intensifies Hardships
The housing crisis further complicates the situation. Thousands of families remain in temporary shelters following Hurricanes Oscar and Melissa in 2024 and 2025, respectively, a predicament reflected in the father's story.
According to 2026 data, 80% of Cubans believe the current situation is worse than the Special Period of the 1990s. Meanwhile, child labor is on the rise, with documented cases of children aged 10 to 14 working on the streets to help support their families.
Understanding Cuba's Economic Hardships
What prompted the father in Santiago de Cuba to sell electrical outlets?
The father attempted to sell electrical outlets to earn money for food to feed his four children, as his family is struggling with severe poverty and homelessness.
How has the food crisis impacted Cuban families?
The food crisis has left 96-97% of Cubans with reduced purchasing power for essentials, causing many families to experience hunger and forcing them to sell personal belongings for survival.
What role does GAESA play in Cuba's economic situation?
GAESA, a military conglomerate, has been criticized for worsening the economic crisis by controlling foreign currency, imports, and the distribution of food, limiting access for the general population.