Food insecurity and poverty are topics that seem to have been overlooked throughout this trip. Many locals, including our host families and guest students in Cuba, mention there is a shortage of water bottles, rice, and chicken.
A research paper in Gastronomica explains, “In spite of Cuba’s agricultural reforms and import patterns, food access remains an issue for citizens, who struggle to feed themselves and their families.”
As a heavily involved volunteer and leader of a nonprofit in the homeless community sector in Athens, Georgia, I have seen first-hand how food insecurity, lack of housing, and limited access to healthcare affects these individuals.
Since the Cuban Revolution, the new government set foundations in place to diminish extreme social inequalities through expanded education, free universal healthcare, and improvement to housing. “There are either low-income or high-income families in Cuba,” tour guide Yoseti Herrera explains. It has been very eye-opening to witness the different values the Cuban government uphold.
I have been interested in learning if the systems surrounding education, healthcare, and housing could be implemented in the United States. In my opinion, homelessness, at least in the United States, is an issue that can only be changed from within the system. There are ways to help these communities externally, but without fundamental changes homelessness will persist.
There may not be an answer or solution, but it is important to learn and go beyond the scope of what we know.
