A young Cuban boy in Havana, who cleans car windshields to make ends meet, has stirred an emotional response across social media. This child, named Cristian, is believed to be around eight or nine years old. Unfortunately, he does not attend school as he spends his days working to provide food for himself and his younger brother.
"If you ever find yourself near La Palma or Café Colón and this little boy crosses your path, asking for a mere $5, or offering to clean your car's windshield or your motorcycle's mirror... Please, don't dismiss him. Help him!" urged Rachel Realin, a young woman who heard about Cristian and searched for him for days until she finally found him.
Rachel described Cristian as a loving and polite child, despite living under extremely challenging circumstances. "Their mother abandoned him and his little brother when they were younger. They live with their father, but it's as if they are alone because their father is an alcoholic and is often absent," she explained.
Rachel encountered Cristian last Friday in the La Palma area, located in the Arroyo Naranjo municipality. After meeting him, she gave him 1,000 pesos and bought him a pack of candies. "I can't express the sadness mixed with satisfaction I felt when I saw the joy on his face. What might be insignificant money to me was incredibly meaningful to him, as it meant he had something to bring to the table that day," she shared.
Rachel posted her story in a Facebook group called "Comida a Domicilio En La Habana," where it quickly went viral. Her goal was to raise awareness that not all children asking for money on the streets are sent by their parents or are looking to buy drugs. "Not all are the same; some simply ask for money because they have nothing to eat. If anyone wishes to help him, please look for him at the traffic light in La Palma," she advised.
The number of children and teenagers forced to work to help their families survive is increasing, a consequence of poverty and abandonment amid the severe crisis gripping the country. Last December, a man in Ciego de Ávila met two siblings who sell guavas on the streets to support their mother, traveling eight kilometers daily after attending school in the morning.
Freelance journalist Guillermo Rodríguez Sánchez shared his encounter with these children on social media. Moved by their situation, he offered to buy all the guavas in their backpack and then gave them back. "And what were you doing at that age? I was always playing in the afternoons. How times have changed..." the reporter lamented.
A few days earlier, a heart-wrenching scene unfolded at Havana's International Airport, where a boy selling candies ended up in a police patrol car. Mario Vallejo, a journalist with Univisión 23, shared a video of the boy crying as an officer approached. Clutching a paint bucket likely filled with candies, the boy tried to escape but couldn't avoid being taken away by the police.
The Plight of Working Children in Cuba
Why are there so many children working in Cuba?
The economic crisis in Cuba forces many children to work to help their families survive. Poverty and abandonment are significant factors contributing to this situation.
How can people help children like Cristian?
People can help by providing small amounts of money or food, raising awareness, and supporting initiatives that aim to address the root causes of child labor in Cuba.
What is being done to address child labor in Cuba?
Efforts are underway by various organizations to raise awareness and provide support, but the deep-seated economic issues require systemic change for long-term solutions.