IDENTIDADES 1 ENGLISH IDENTIDADES 6 ENGLISH | Page 49

come from other provinces to work in
Havana, and stay at this place. Santa is
the General Assistant there and takes
care of cleaning the various rooms, and
serving lunch and dinner.
Social cases with no ration booklet
While they have spent over five years at
this albergue, they’ve had a ration
booklet for less than one. When they
were living in the little room in the
neighbor’s patio, they survived by
buying things on the street and thanks to
neighbors, “who helped us quite a lot,”
says Kirenia. “Many times, we did not
eat,” whispers Santa.
To get a ration booklet, Kirenia went to
the Provincial Shelter Authority. There,
she was told that there was nothing they
could do, because social cases were not
assigned ration booklets. The OFICODA
office said the same thing.

Albergue inner hallway
Kirenia: I then WENT to the Provincial,
People’s Power Assembly and delivered
a letter for the legal advisor there. They
sent me to another office, and the girl
there sent me to the Interior Commerce
Ministry (MINCIN). I went there and
explained my problem and showed them
the letter for the People’s Council Vice

President. The comrade who took care of
me told me to expect an answer within
30-60 days. Approximately 20 days
later, I got a call to go pick up a ration
booklet. See how things are possible?
One must put pressure on them.
YR: Under what circumstances have
you had your daughters?
Kirenia: I started to work at the Regla
Library, and it was there I met the father
of my 10 and 7 year-old daughters, and
there’s a boy on the way.
They are not together, but since the
cubicle is so small, and his house is “a
little bit bigger,” she is there with the
girls. This latest pregnancy was an
accident; the condom busted, but even
though there is a baby on the way, they
are not a couple. When I asked her if he
helps her, she says that “he buys the girls
what they need; they lack nothing.” She
gets help from her mother. Kirenia says
she is five months along and has not
even a baby diaper, or any baby items,
on hand. Today, she went to see how
much was deposited in her account: 88
pesos and 36 cents (less than four CUCs
= less than four US dollars).
When she’d finished high school,
Kirenia finished her degree to be a preschool teacher, which is what she does
now. She really loves children and has
patience with them. She earns 375 pesos
a month (the equivalent of 15 CUCS and
15 cents = $15.15 in US dollars).
YR: Aren’t you entitled to a baby
layette?
Kirenia: After 28 weeks; I am not at 23.
They say they’re providing a crib,
mattress, mosquito netting…

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