A Success Story – Part 2

Next Visit – October 2015

I came alone.

I brought as many of the necessities as I could, but suitcases fill rapidly. At least this family knew that my friends and I cared.

On this visit I surveyed the roof and discovered that the concrete slab needed large areas to be chipped out and re-poured. I made a mistake by hiring the son of another Cuban friend and he started after I returned to the U.S. He meant well, but I quickly realized that he was in over his head. Trying to do this long distance was not going to work. I had Tayluma take over the hiring and paying of the new workers. The money was gone and the work had to be redone, but at least now, there were quality men on the job and Tayluma was making her own decisions.

With the re-work and shortage of materials in general, the roof job took over six months. Most of the materials had to be purchased on the black market. Whenever sacks of concrete  became available it was a bidding frenzy to see who would get to buy them. The same was true for sand, aggregate, and the delivery service. But persistence paid off.

At least it was now dry inside the house.

Many thanks to my friends Kate, Louise, Pam, Matt, Susan, and Robert  for providing encouragement, support, and money to help this poor family.

Next – We build a bathroom.

 

 

 

A Success Story – Part 1

It’s time to tell this story.

Fellow travelers and friends Kate, Pam and I met Tayluma in  January 2015 in Trinidad, Cuba.

She returned my wave when we were passing by her house so we stopped and she invited us in. She proceeded to give us an earful.

Cubans can get in trouble for being too friendly with tourists, especially inviting them into their homes, so it was a shock when she unloaded on us.

She was upset and crying, but fighting for her children. ” I don’t care who knows. My children should not have to live like this.”

She showed us everything:

Leaking roof

A toilet and a hole in the ground for a bathroom.

Empty refrigerator

Electric bill in arrears

The two girls were sleeping in one bed, feet to feet, with clothes piled up to make the mattress long enough.

Kitchen that was not sanitary.

Bad Wiring

Storing water to “flush” the toilet.

The children were precious. Well behaved, quiet, and intelligent.

I shed tears as we walked away and vowed to try to help.

The next day we returned with a fellow traveler to translate for us.

I brought a bag of bread and cookies that I was able to sneak out of the hotel breakfast buffet.

We photographed and listen to her story:

Her husband moved them into this house to take care of his dying uncle. When the uncle passed, the husband left town and Tayluma was left alone with her two girls and the house.

The immediate concern was the electric bill and a roof that leaked for about half the length of the house.

The problem was that our tour was leaving the next day.

We left her with money for the electricity and food.

I was able to establish e-mail contact with Tayluma. It was a dial-up connection and not very reliable and she had to walk to the internet business, rent a computer one for one cuc/ hr. and learn how to use it. Finally she emailed me. It was her lifeline.

I got all her information and set her with up an AIS debit card account.  We were then able to transfer money to her. At least we could keep the lights on and food in the house.

Part two – We repair the roof.    https://wp.me/p4fUlX-W9

 

Viewed From Above

I had a nice view from my balcony on Calle E. San Rafael. No sunrises or sunsets, but always something different to look at.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Every Day Is The Same”

I heard it often and I heard it in English. “Every Day Is The Same”.
Maybe it’s the newest joke or wisecrack.

I even fell for it myself.
My Havana host asked “What do you think of the world today?”
I gave him my two-minute simplified rant in basic English, then asked him the same question.
With a wry smile he said “It doesn’t matter. In Cuba, every day is the same.”

Then I started hearing it on the street.

Maybe it’s the truth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Construction

I observed a lot of construction in Old Havana. I’m not certain what they were doing. Perhaps they were preparing to  bury water or power lines. I did notice that a lot of the work was being done by hand. I also noticed some of the workers wearing hard hats, causing me  to believe that a foreign company was involved. The usual ratio of those working to those standing around seems to prevail, even in Cuba.

 

Boxing

Boxing is alive and well in Havana.
We were fortunate enough to have a guide who got us into a training session. These young men went through their regular routine of warm-up, exercise, heavy bag, and sparing.

 

 

 

 

OOPS

We were fortunate enough to get some heavy surf along the Malecon in Havana. I wanted a different point of view so I put my camera on a small table-top tripod and placed it on the ground. I would take three quick shots, pick up my camera and back away a few feet to avoid the spray. I had the wave  timing figured out (I thought).

Yes, I got wet on this one.

 

Follow Your Nose

It’s not difficult to find the bakery. The ovens baking the fresh bread every morning send the delightful aroma drifting through the streets of Trinidad. Some people show up to make their purchases and others will wait for one the bread men to load his bicycle and make a delivery.
Unfortunately, the aroma is the best part of this government bread. The crust is very hard and thick and the inside lacks any substantial texture or taste.

 

 

 

 

Adapting

Most of the pedicabs and three-wheeled cycles are of their own design. This man’s cycle has been modified so he can “peddle” with his arms.
Two flat tires and one missing leg didn’t dampen his spirit.

 

 

 

Roots

I don’t which came first, the building or the tree, but they have both been there for a long time.

I waited for something to happen and one man finally came by. I like the fact that only his foot is sharp. Both he and the tree are moving, but at much different speeds.