A video shared on Facebook by Father Leandro NaunHung, the parish priest of San José Obrero in Santiago de Cuba, captures a touching moment: a rural child receives a pair of boots, and the simple joy it brings to those around him is heartwarming.
This video, which circulated on social media this week, naturally captures the scene: adults attempt to fit the boots on a young boy named Jesús, affectionately called "Jesucito." They ask about his shoe size and celebrate that the boots fit perfectly.
"Hey, you got lucky, Jesús," remarks one adult, delighted that the footwear fits him well.
One detail underscores the depth of need: someone notes that the boots are "for girls," indicating they were donated without concern for gender in the urgency to cover the child's feet.
Before putting them on, someone mentions that "the foot needs to be washed," a seemingly offhand comment that speaks volumes about the conditions these rural Cuban children endure.
Father NaunHung is well-known in Santiago de Cuba for his social work and for highlighting the extreme poverty affecting rural communities on the island through social media.
He manages a community kitchen at his parish, providing meals to vulnerable children and families. Just last week, he reported the theft of kitchen utensils, including the main cooking pot, publicly vowing to replace them: "We will get another pot. It's not easy."
The boot video is set against a backdrop of a humanitarian crisis that severely impacts Cuban children in rural areas.
In Cuba, a pair of shoes can cost around $15, equal to about 5,550 Cuban pesos in the informal exchange market, while the typical monthly salary is approximately 3,700 pesos, insufficient to meet basic needs like footwear.
This priest has documented other survival efforts, such as collecting aluminum cans to generate income in rural Santiago communities, and has highlighted extreme cases like a mother using purslane leaves to prepare meals.
The image of a child receiving second-hand boots with joy is not new in Cuba. In September 2020, a child in Pinar del Río attended school in flip-flops due to a lack of shoes, a story that touched thousands both on and off the island.
Six years on, the situation remains dire. In 2026, images of families in extreme poverty in provinces like Holguín, Pinar del Río, and Santiago de Cuba continue to circulate on social media, where children must wade through flooded paths to reach school, and a pair of boots can still be a reason for celebration.
Poverty and Humanitarian Crisis in Rural Cuba
What does the video shared by Father NaunHung depict?
The video shows a rural child in Cuba receiving a pair of boots, highlighting the joy and gratitude this simple gesture brings to him and those around him.
How does this video reflect the broader issues in Cuba?
The video reflects the severe poverty and humanitarian crisis affecting rural areas in Cuba, where basic necessities like footwear are difficult to afford and contribute significantly to daily life challenges.
What efforts has Father NaunHung been involved in to aid these communities?
Father NaunHung runs a community kitchen feeding vulnerable families and documents other survival strategies, like collecting aluminum cans for income, while raising awareness of the extreme poverty in rural Cuba.