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Cuba is hit by natural disasters

By Raquel Sierra

"This had never been seen here. The city has been destroyed. Houses, schools and many other buildings have collapsed. The residential sector has no power supply", said Nivia Delgado, shortly after hurricane Ike hit the island.

Delgado and her husband Santiago Peña provided accommodation to some neighbors whose houses had tile roofs. "We thought everything would fall down because of the wind", she added.

"Floods were worse this time than in 1963, when hurricane Flora hit. There is practically nothing left of the park we were always proud of. The situation is even more critical in other districts", she stressed.

Nive, a primary school teacher in Baracoa, the first village founded by the Spaniards in Cuba, is happy not to live by the sea. Although the hurricane did not affect this region directly, floods in low-lying areas were unprecedented. "Sea waves exceeded the height of a five-story building, and many houses were completely destroyed", she indicated.

Seawater moved 200 meters inland in the eastern city of Gibara and over two kilometers inland in the western village of Artemisa.

Faced with this bleak prospect, the Cuban people are trying to rebuild the country after two hurricanes damaged around 500,000 houses and many production facilities and agricultural projects. Television reports indicated that 127,000 houses had been damaged only in Holguín, east of the capital.

Two natural disasters in a row

The special municipality of the Isle of Youth and the westernmost province of Pinar del Río were swept away by Gustav, a category-four hurricane, on August 30.

There were no fatalities, but power supply and telephone communication services were seriously affected. Over 100,000 houses were damaged and will take long to be refurbished or re-built.

When resources were being mobilized and sent to Gustav-stricken areas, Ike threatened to hit.

The eighth hurricane in the current season (June-November period) entered the eastern province of Holguín on September 7 and moved out to the sea some hours later, after having hit the neighboring provinces of Las Tunas and Camagüey.

It moved from south to north in the westernmost province of Pinar del Río on September 9. It followed the same track as hurricane Gustav did before heading for the Gulf of Mexico.

José Rubiera, director of the Weather Forecast Center at the National Institute of Meteorology, had anticipated that Ike would affect the entire country from east to west, bring heavy rains and strong winds, and cause serious floods.

It rained so heavily in Pinar del Río that 45,000 people had to be evacuated after the hurricane moved away. The total number of evacuees in the country reached 190,000.

Gustav devastation was further compounded by Ike: additional damage to houses, growing fields, and production and service facilities.

Former Cuban President Fidel Castro said that overall hurricane losses were close to four billion dollars. Other estimates set them at 10 billion.

Seven people got killed because they did not follow Civil Defense instructions, officials announced.

Colonel José E. Betancourt indicated that over 2.6 million had been evacuated. "Most of them went to relatives and neighbors'," he added.

"We established 2,300 government-operated shelters and kept 10,000 transportation vehicles running to face hurricane Ike", he commented.

Aftermath

Many families lost everything they had during the hurricanes. "People are worried about the consequences", said Teresa Verde, a resident in Marianao municipality (Havana).

Deputy Agriculture Minister Alcides López told media representatives that 70,000 tons of foodstuffs had been damaged. "Egg and pork meat production will drop by 40 million units and 12,000 tons, respectively, as compared to initial plans", he anticipated.

"We are formulating a new strategy to plant short-cycle crops as soon as possible", he announced.

On the other hand, Deputy Information Minister Ramón Linares indicated that radio and television broadcasting systems had been seriously affected and that 8,000 telephone cable poles had been turned down. Over 67,000 lines are out of service, he noted.

Right after the hurricanes, the local population started cleaning roads and ways, refurbishing houses and doing agricultural work.

The Armed Forces, government leaders and technicians headed for Gustav-devastated Pinar del Río and the Isle of Youth first and for Ike-hit provinces later.

"We have lost everything except hope", a 40-year-old woman on local television. A report showed a roof tile shipment arriving in a stricken area at night.

Rochy, a Cuban singer who joined a cultural delegation to affected regions, said that images were desolating and personal experiences really horrible.

Most of the houses that collapsed were made of wood, noted Rodolfo Orozco, a resident on the outskirts of Havana.

Shortly after Gustav hit, former President Fidel Castro said that there was a need to build 1.5 million new hurricane-proof houses. "This will call for 10 million dollars", he added.

The housing deficit had been estimated at 600,000 units before the latest hurricanes hit. The financial situation in the country is so serious that the central government has advised its creditors that it will not be able to honor commitments in the short term, press reports indicated.

Luis Góngora, vice-president of the Local Defense Council in Havana, announced that 153 buildings had collapsed in the city. "A total of 2,172 people are still living in shelters", he stressed.

"Around 220 damaged electric circuits have been fixed, and 50 are still out of service", he commented.

Aside from hurricane damage, the State covers transportation to and from, and food expenses at shelters. Hurricane victims will be given additional food aid in the next few months, a Granma newspaper report indicated.

"Material resources are being taken from factories and warehouses directly to affected areas", it added.

After Gustav hit, Cuba received humanitarian aid from Russia, Spain, Venezuela, Ecuador, Brazil, China and East Timor.

The Island in figures

By Dixie Edith

The Cuban Ministry of Economy and Planning's National Office of Statistics (ONE) has just launched a multimedia —Cuba in figures— including updated population, economic, social and environmental data.

It provides the most comprehensive information on the 1995-2006 period, the producers said.

Over 100 graphs and 76 maps help understand statistical indicators, and each chapter contains an introduction by local reporter Susana Lee, they added.

The material is already available at local libraries, universities and computer clubs for young people, ONE director Oscar Mederos announced.

The chapter on economic data includes a summary of the measures adopted to overcome the crisis in the early 1990s.

Environmental information covers rainfall values, cold fronts, drinking-water availability per inhabitant, and renewable energy use.

Population data include fertility and mortality rates, migration, aging process, and others.

The idea (of developing the multimedia) came up because it was not possible to have a printed version of the 397-page material at this point in time, Mederos stressed.

The PDF format makes it possible to print individual chapters and keep design and quality maps and graphs unchanged, he noted.

The material also provides general information on Cuba and its 14 provinces, and contains 26 paintings by Alexis Leyva (Kcho) to illustrate each section introduction.

Cuba in figures and an updated version of ONE's website were launched on September 6 to commemorate the first Population and Housing Census conducted in the country after 1959.

Learning to live with HIV/AIDS

By Sara Más / Photo: Raquel Sierra

Learning to live with HIV/AIDS is quite an experience and poses a challenge to millions of people all over the world.

Tomasa Rodríguez (46) is one of them. She is a stocky, straight-haired, talkative Cuban woman. She lives in Cárdenas, a district in Matanzas province, 100 kilometers east of Havana.

"I got the virus from my husband 10 years ago", she told SEMlac.

"We had been married for some years when we decided to separate. My husband had an affair and, when we resumed our relationship, I got infected", she added.

She is currently coordinating the Women and AIDS Project in Cárdenas and was given the Hope Award last year. This recognition is granted to those who make outstanding contributions to HIV/AIDS prevention in the island.

She was working as a laboratory technician when her husband was asked to have some tests performed to confirm a hepatitis diagnosis.

"I asked my colleagues to tell me the truth. I thought I was prepared to deal with it, but the impact was tremendous", she recalled.

"I began to suffer with my nerves and I had to stop working. I was crying all the time. My family asked me what was going on, but I kept silent because the diagnosis had not been determined", she stressed.

When she was finally diagnosed, she talked to a brother first and to the rest of her family later.

"It was very hard for me to tell my children. My daughter was so shocked that she found it difficult to finish her specialty. I was unable to go to her graduation ceremony", she noted.

"I was not given any explanation; I was simply told I had to go to a sanatorium. I did not know if I could see my children again or what was going to happen to me. My husband and I spent three years there", she recalled.

At the time, she carefully considered the idea of getting divorced. There was no point in accusing him or anybody else. He never wanted AIDS to reach him or me. The doctors helped us understand many things, she indicated.

There was not so much information about the virus a decade ago. Most people were afraid of AIDS. "I have always been supported by my family, friends and neighbors", she told SEMlac.

"I had to take another job. I could no longer be working at a bacteriology lab, exposed to so many germs and bacteria. I have learnt about this with the passing of time", she confessed.

She began working as the receptionist of the local Mental Health Center. "The staff made me feel welcome and urged me to take a training course for health promoters", she said.

She is now actively involved in debates, talks and workshops, and provides care for children and relatives of HIV-positive women. All these actions are being backed up by the Federation of Cuban Women.

"We are training housewives, working women and students. It is very important to work with housewives because they do not know what is really going on with the virus", she remarked.

"Out of six HIV-positive-diagnosed women in Cárdenas, one has just passed away. The rate has been dropping partly due to our work", she commented.

"We provide counseling services every Thursday, from 5.00 to 8.00 p.m. , clarify doubts, and address specific concerns and interests", she said.

"AIDS has no age; anybody practicing unsafe sex can get infected", she added.

"HIV-positive women should always have safe sex because they can be re-infected. Patients can also develop drug resistance", she underlined.

Rodríguez joined a self-help group that meets at the local Center for Reflection and Dialogue on a regular basis, and a group of HIV-positive people who get together at San Antonio Church.

"My husband is in charge of the hotline for people living with HIV/AIDS. We are working together", she noted.

"I heard an unpleasant comment about me shortly after I got infected. I just turned my back and continued walking", she recalled.

"I know of medical staff members who have refused to provide help or treat HIV-positive people. This is sanctioned under the law, but they often argue that there are no gloves or disposable syringes available", she commented.

"We have discussed these issues at our meetings. Healthcare professionals are not always sensitized and properly trained", she stressed.

"The doctors at my workplace have told me that I just happen to live with a virus that is being brought under control. This makes my willpower grow", she indicated.

"I am surrounded by charming people at home. My mother really loves me, and my grandson is just adorable. What else could I ask for? They have never reproached me", she added.

"I welcome everybody at home, including HIV-infected people and those looking for information, preparing projects or requiring help", she said.

"I will go on working. As I said earlier, I have the good fortune to be surrounded by people who love me, and that is wonderful", she concluded.

Television serial on puberty

By Dixie Edith

Puberty, a cartoon serial being broadcast over local television, is intended mostly for a population group that is eager for information about life, including sex.

"The idea is to dignify adolescence", said Mariela Castro, director of the National Sex Education Center (CENESEX) and one of the material's scriptwriters.

Strange things are happening is the first episode produced by the Animation Studios at the Cuban Film Institute (ICAIC) to help adolescents understand physiological, psychological and social changes in this stage of life.

"We want to remove stereotypes, including those that associate it with the age of stupidity", Castro stressed at a press conference. Her book What happens to us over puberty? provided the basis for the script developed jointly with Wilbert Noguel.

Described by experts as the age of sudden changes and difficult reactions, adolescence involves behaviors and values that play a role in shaping the personality.

"This is a very important stage in life; boys and girls ask questions that should never be left unanswere", she indicated.

Her book contains the findings of a qualitative research work conducted by CENESEX in the 1990s.

Surveys have shown that local television materials for teenagers fail to cover their needs at a time when they begin having sex and adopt a safe or unsafe behavior.

The new material's production process involved teenagers who are members of La Colmenita children theater group.

The United Nations International Children's Fund (UNICEF) will help finance an evaluation of the serial after it is broadcast in full in order to develop an international educational campaign for adolescents.

The filmmakers, however, do not think that it is out-and-out didactic.

"Each episode focuses on a character and his/her relations with parents and peers", Castro stressed.

"We would like teenagers to see it as a story rather than as a lesson", said its director Ernesto Piña.

"We hope the serial will convey a message to parents and society at large, he added. It is intended for young people, but it will certainly attract adults as well", he concluded.

Disabilities and wrong love

By Ilse Bulit

A friend of mine arrived in Madrid some days ago. She is living in an efficiency apartment borrowed from a colleague. Fear has cascaded upon her. Although she is able to recognize cooking utensils, she has never fried an egg or washed her panties. She went, however, to a special school for blind children, was trained as a guitarist, and is a member of a jazz band in Cuba.

She writes songs using computer software. She does not plan to stay illegally in Spain. She left a moderately comfortable house and a work contract that met her basic needs. She wants to stay there just for some time, to try to break 30-year-long ties with her mother.

My friend is suffering from the wrong love syndrome, as I call it. Her case is similar to that of other disabled people who are very active in the cultural and educational areas.

She feels guilty. It is difficult for a blind person to take the right subway in a foreign country, but it is even more difficult for her to think that she has deprived her mother of her raison de être.

Her sighted mother strongly believes that her mission in life has been to protect her blind daughter.

When a first child takes long to come, the man usually blames the woman. And when the baby happens to be physically and/or mentally handicapped, he finds her guilty.

These mothers quit their jobs or change vocations to be close to their disabled children. In doing so, they are praised and considered to give good examples.

This is how a wrong love relationship is developed. Sexist differences often appear. Mothers, aunts and sisters look after these children and, in most cases, overwhelm them with care.

Blind boys will be able to get away and make decisions. Blind girls will not. Overprotection will make them invisible, and their families, mainly their mothers, will be responsible for finding their other halves.

When a blind girl studies, has a trade or profession, and a friend takes an interest in her, her smiling mother will watch them closely to be sure that everything is under control.

Another blind, older artist has faced a situation similar to that of my friend now in Madrid. She is a singer and still remembers how difficult her youth was, with her mother accompanying her everywhere she went. She shudders to think what will become of her when her mother dies.

In an effort to be truly independent, another talented blind woman became promiscuous and has endured the consequences of such an attitude.

These are just some examples of blind women whose parents are sighted. They have all had access to special schools and professional services (including psychological support) under the law.

Their mothers' love has, either consciously or unconsciously, affected institutional efforts. There is thus a need to review such a situation and implement specific program to redress it.

We are certainly happy to see disabled women in all kinds of trades and professions, but we should try to answer the following question: Are they really independent women or do they simply make up statistical data? At least the ones mentioned above are indecisive, unrestrained or melancholically ignorant.

Blind children demand more help from their families than sighted children, even under the best financial and social conditions. As they grow, they will just require complementary support.

All these efforts will not be successful if there is no real change in the traditional role of sacrificed mothers who give constant, but wrong love.

The Women's News Service from Latin America and the Caribbean (SEMlac), International News Agency, offers this weekly service.

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