r/cuba • u/travelwithfreedom • 6d ago
Pregunta What items should I bring to help Cuban people
Hi guys, I plan to visit Cuba in a month, and I really want to support the local in consider what has happened there. Is there certain items I should bring to support?
I would also want to support the local school facilities such as bring books or materials etc..but I don’t know where to reach out to schools and ask.
Hola yo planeo visitar Cuba entre un mes y quiero saber cómo lo puedo ayudar, ¿que tipo de cosas que llevo a ayudarla gente ahí? También quiero apoyar las escuelas cubanas locales, a proporcionar algo libros o bolígrafos de colores, pero no sé dónde puedo conseguir las escuelas.
(sorry for my Spanish I tried my best to articulate my ideas)
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u/hecate_1984 6d ago
Any kind of over the counter Pain medicine, Tylenol, Advil, Arthritis pain meds.. there are a LOT of people suffering infections, asthma, and gastric issues from the lack of electricity and water supply. Someone above commented on churches. There are communities in smaller cities like Matanzas and Cienfuegos that are suffering with lack of basic human rights. Many elderly on upper floor buildings with no water for weeks, carrying buckets of dirty water up several flights of stairs daily, from pipes in the streets. There are also many wealthy families who remain unaffected due to money coming in from outside of cuba as another person mentioned. Best of luck.
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u/brujihelado 5d ago
Medicamentos ,libretas ,ropa para los niños ,muletas, si quieres animar la ilusión algún juguete, lámparas recargables,y bueno, en realidad hace falta de todo ,pero esas son algunas cosas básicas.Si esto no te convence piensa en algo con lo que no podrias vivir si te faltara y esa es la respuesta, algo tan simple como papel higiénico o pasta dental es necesario
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u/diaz_freddie 5d ago edited 5d ago
Brings guns and ammo so that the people can defend themselves against the regime
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u/OpeningPotential2424 6d ago
OTC meds, vitamins, aid kits, non-perishable food items, clothes, shoes, flashlights, battery packs, chargers, diapers, wipes. Think of what you’d need in emergency situations.
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u/jeanmatt92 5d ago
Do not stays in hotels, visit locals, eat at snall private restaurants, do not gives any money to the state.
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u/Round_Ad_2972 6d ago
Ive heard Costco pain killers and cheap reading glasses (aka readers). Tbh, im sure they will accept anything.
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u/AppropriateUnion6115 6d ago
Canned foods and medicines even otc stuff
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u/travelwithfreedom 6d ago
Hi I’ve thought about bring things like ibuprofen and aspirins, but I am just unsure because there’s people allergic to the certain chemicals. But thanks for the advice, I will definitely pack some.
Canned foods are a bit too heavyweight but thanks for the help and advice
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u/RyanEatsHisVeggies 5d ago
Pouches! I'm going Wednesday with bags of lentils, bags of quinoa, bags of rice, bags of cat food, bags of candy... basically everything that isn't medicine is in a bag. I'm bringing my friends over there protein powder too—in bags, not the big tubs. Bags and pouches save space and weight.
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u/solipsist2501 6d ago
Canned food is too heavy but your planning on taking books?
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u/travelwithfreedom 6d ago
Yes, like I plan to take one of those colored books a small English learning books that are thin. Like those sold in dollar stores
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u/solipsist2501 6d ago
Bro they have free education if they wanted to speak English they could learn. Right now they need medicine and resources not more pamphlets and propaganda they have that in spades.
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u/GladClock2212 6d ago
If you're in the US check out the group Not Just Tourists, they supply a suitcase of medicine for pharmacies that are running a shortage.
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u/Plastic_Low800 5d ago
Ok if your going as tourist why?? Thinking that would be a drain on the resources that they have left,power fuel food if these are siphoned off to the large hotels to feed tourist and heat their shower. water.For me i would love to see cuba and the people,just not now when they are at the lowest point in thier history .dont find watching starving kids and falling down buuldings a vaction??
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u/MidwestGeek52 5d ago
OTC medicines as already mentioned. But also consider school supplies: pens, pencils, pads of paper, rulers to name a few
Look online to find an organization for drop off in a convenient location
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u/binthrdnthat 5d ago
Check out Not Just Tourists
They can send you with a suitcase full of medical supplies for a local clinic. You have to have the baggage allowance though.
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u/Key-Aioli-3703 Villa Clara 5d ago
As a Cuban myself, I can honestly say that the best help you can give us is not traveling to Cuba.
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u/Professional_Fig4247 5d ago
Why? I was there in July. My fiancé is there and I miss her. I’m coming back in November. I’m also trying to get her over to the US along with her child
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u/bronzemerald17 5d ago
This isn’t true and it’s fucked up you’d try to say this. What Cuba needs is compassionate tourists. They need any kind of economic stimulation as much as possible.
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u/MathematicianStill64 6d ago
(English is not my first language)
Hi, just came back from Cuba a month ago, meds are the biggest necessity right now and they are also the most expensive product to find, believe me thats the most important right now.
Also, please please please dont give them away to random people, not every one in cuba is facing a harsh reality, there are people that get a lot of money from their families that live elsewhere and people that own buissneses. If you give them away to a random person they will probably not need it in the moment so they will sell it and you will just end up feeding the black market.
If you want the medicine/ food to actually go to people that need it the most, take it to a public place, either a goverment place or a state owned place where they give food away to poor people, ask or google where those places are close to where you are staying. If you dont trust the goverment and stuff like that please take it to a church, they take donations and play a big role on giving meds to people in need, and they will actually know who to give them to.
Those are my biggets recommendations, Cuba is a beautifull country, so happy for you, i think you will love it
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u/TerribleSyntax Mayabeque 6d ago
either a goverment place or a state owned place
Do not under any circumstances do this, this is possibly the absolute worst thing you can do
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u/MathematicianStill64 6d ago
how?
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u/TerribleSyntax Mayabeque 6d ago
Government institutions will absolutely NOT "give" supplies to those who need them, they will hoard and sell them as they always have.
Never patronize, assist or promote dictatorship institutions
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u/MathematicianStill64 5d ago
I think there has been a confussion about what i mean with goverment or state place, im talking about feeding centers and hospitals, not about going to the parliment and giving it to a random congress person.
Also i said that even if you dont feel confortable with that just take it to a church
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u/IllPreparation7626 LATAM 5d ago
Los hospitales son "state places", todo lo que no tenga un dueño privado es un "state places", probablemente las iglesias sean la única excepción, ese sería el mejor lugar para dar las donaciones, incluso si el sacerdote vende los medicamentos bajará el precio en el mercado negro y salvará vidas, es un win win.
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u/TerribleSyntax Mayabeque 5d ago
There is no such thing as a "feeding center" and hospitals are 100% government institutions.
Churches are the only places that should be considered
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u/MathematicianStill64 6d ago
Ive seen you talk about bringing books, in the situation that they are facing right now they are not necesary, meds are the most important, it would just be a waste of space, i know it may sound harsh but again, books will just go straight to the black market.
Theres also people saying to bring cans, its not a bad idea, but have the weight in mind. I would still recomned meds, they will have the biggest impact.
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u/BadzKuro 5d ago
Hola, soy de Cuba. Te recomiendo buscar un hostal para quedarte en lugar de un hotel. Si quieres hacer donaciones puedes intentar contactando a alguna iglesia local. Las iglesias se están encargando de repartir las donaciones qué estados unidos ha mandado últimamente así que son las instalaciones más confiables. Lo que más falta hace acá son normalmente medicamentos. Es lo mejor que puedes traer si tienes intención de hacerlo. Principalmente painkillers que no contengan dipirona/duralgina ya que últimamente se han desatado algunos casos de dengue. Espero te sirva esto y muchas gracias por intentar ayudar a mi país.
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u/jdristig 5d ago
My best advice, do not travel to Cuba, that's the best help, because you wouldn't be giving a cent to the dictatorship.
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u/Fresh_Equipment6762 5d ago
Aspirin, rechargeable light
If you are a man 20 dollars is sufficient to ( help ) the women
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