Cubans Rally to Support Young Girl Living in Poverty

A wave of compassion surged this Wednesday around Lía Isabel García Torres, an eight-year-old girl living in dire poverty in Bayamo, Granma province, after her story was shared by Cuban journalist and activist Guillermo Rodríguez Sánchez on his Facebook profile.

Within hours, mothers from Bayamo flocked to Lía's home with their children, offering toys and gifts. From abroad, packages containing clothes, vitamins, and school supplies were sent, while monetary donations quickly reached 270,000 Cuban pesos.

Acts of Kindness in Bayamo

One of the most touching moments involved a young boy who donated his Stitch stuffed animal—a toy he had wanted for his birthday—and cried as he handed it over. His mother shared with Rodríguez Sánchez, "I have three children, two boys and a girl, and they were eager to take out toys for Lía. The oldest gave a Stitch plush, which he had cried for as a birthday gift."

International Support and Financial Aid

From overseas, a supporter sent an 11.5-pound package filled with toys, vitamins, clothes, and school supplies, addressed to Lía's mother, Lariatne Gamboa Morales, in Bayamo. Rodríguez Sánchez confirmed that several more shipments are en route and will arrive at the girl's home within the next 15 days.

As for the cash donations, the activist announced that 270,000 pesos had been collected, and he plans to organize the delivery of the money to the family as soon as possible.

Desperate Conditions and a Call for Help

Lía's situation was brought to light not by her mother, but by a neighbor who occasionally provides them with meals and pleaded for assistance on behalf of both. The young girl suffers from chronic respiratory illnesses, has been without access to clean water for over 50 days, and her refrigerator is empty and rusted. Her only toys until now were dolls salvaged from the trash, which she dressed with clothes she sewed herself.

Rodríguez Sánchez described the harsh reality: "Let no one sugarcoat it; having nothing to eat and no means to obtain food even if you work is the worst kind of misery."

Addressing the Broader Crisis

The water crisis Lía faces is not unique to Granma. The province's Electric Company admitted in June that it was generating only a third of the needed energy, with circuits experiencing over 45 consecutive hours without service. Since water supply relies on electric pumps, power outages severely disrupt water access: more than 67,000 residents in Granma lack water service through networks, and a private water truck can cost up to 20,000 Cuban pesos.

Nationally, the situation is equally bleak. According to the Cuban Observatory for Human Rights, 89% of Cuban families live in extreme poverty, with an average salary of just $13 a month. Over 100,000 children do not receive daily milk, and nearly half of students aged six to eleven do not get meals at school.

Those wishing to help Lía and her family can send donations to BPA card 9238 1299 7955 8725, under the name of Verona Bonce, a family friend, as Lía's mother does not have a bank account. This is not the first time citizen solidarity has filled the gap left by state inaction: in previous campaigns, Rodríguez Sánchez raised a million pesos for a family in Júcaro, and just last Monday, Cubans gathered 45,000 pesos for other families in critical need.

"Just like Lía and her mom, there are thousands of mothers and daughters across Cuba," wrote Rodríguez Sánchez, encapsulating the scale of a crisis unacknowledged and unaddressed by the regime.