MADRID, Spain.- In the last few hours, the story of Roelbis, a nine-year-old boy who lives in Camagüey and earned his living selling tamales, has moved many Cubans inside and outside the country. The situation of this minor was made visible by independent journalist Jose Luis Tan Estrada through his Facebook profile, where he recounted the harsh reality that the little boy faced in order to help his grandmother, with whom he lives in precarious conditions.
Roelbis, affectionately known as “Titingo,” used to ride around the streets of his neighborhood on an old bicycle, selling tamales for 60 pesos to help cover his household expenses. He lives with his grandmother Deisi, 62, a retiree whose pension barely covers basic expenses. According to Tan Estrada, the boy went out to sell tamales without his grandmother knowing: he told her he was going to play, but in reality, he was trying to “struggle” for a little money to contribute to the family economy.
The journalist’s post unleashed a wave of solidarity. Cubans from inside and outside the island quickly mobilized to offer help to Roelbis and his grandmother. Tan Estrada shared on his Facebook profile the necessary information for those who wanted to contribute, both from Cuba and from abroad. “What I always say: we cannot help everyone all the time, but we can lend a hand from time to time, and that is better than doing nothing,” wrote the journalist in his post.
Tan Estrada also said that he had personally verified the situation of the child, after visiting his house and speaking with him, his grandmother and neighbors. “Roelbis sold tamales hidden from his grandmother, but now, thanks to the support of so many people, he will no longer have to do so,” said the journalist.
In a post this Wednesday, the Cuban writer Guillermo Rodriguez Sanchez Rodríguez shared an emotional message showing the positive impact of the donations. “On the left, the tamale boy in his daily routine, and on the right, the same boy in the afternoon with a new bicycle that he was able to buy thanks to the support and visibility that you generated,” said Rodríguez, highlighting the joy on the boy’s face.
The Roelbis case once again highlights the harsh reality that many people live minors in Cuba, caught in an economic crisis that forces them to work from an early age.
