Friendship, Help… Today They Resonate More Than Ever

Today, solidarity is a daily necessity for many families in Matanzas. Simply looking around is enough to realize the situation: high prices, food shortages, blackouts, and transportation difficulties constantly affect people’s lives.

In neighborhoods and communities of Matanzas, many people survive thanks to the support of neighbors, friends, and family members who share what little they have.

That help, though it may seem small, can greatly alleviate the burdens of those who need it most.

Amid so many hardships, gestures still appear that demonstrate that the Cuban people have not lost their human sense.

There are people who share a plate of food with a sick neighbor, others who help carry water during power outages, or who take care of someone’s children so they can work.

In many places, solidarity becomes a form of resistance against daily difficulties. When people come together, problems do not disappear, but they become more bearable.

It is also important to recognize that not everyone experiences the crisis in the same way. There are elderly people living alone, mothers with several children, and families who barely manage to cover their basic needs. Often, these people feel forgotten or that they have no one to turn to.

That is why being solidary should not be seen as an obligation, but rather as an act of awareness and sensitivity toward those going through tougher times.

Sometimes a conversation, a simple helping hand, or simply caring about another person makes a difference. These are actions born from a sense of community and from understanding that today someone needs help, but tomorrow it could be oneself who needs it.

However, a certain social fatigue caused by so many accumulated problems is also perceptible. Some people have become more indifferent or only think about solving their own needs.

Although that is understandable to some extent, we cannot lose the ability to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes.

A society where everyone looks only after themselves ends up being colder and more unequal. Solidarity helps keep hope alive and strengthens the bonds between people.

It is not about having a lot to help, but about sharing according to each person’s possibilities. «Solidarity is the light that appears when someone decides not to leave another alone in the midst of darkness.»