Hardship

One of the most difficult thinks to experience as most of you who have travelled in poor countries will know, is how poor people are. Most of my christian friends in Baracoa have next to no money. The average wage is $10 a month not enough to raise a family. There is no running water and houses are just simple shacks most with tin roofs. The family I stayed with wash their clothes by hand as they don't own washing machines. Another problem is that there is a massive shortage of houses. Newly married couples have to live with their parents. So the majority of households contain aunts, uncles, grandparents, children, grandchildren some of which have to share bedrooms. Few kitchens have ovens just electric hobs on the side. So it's simply a case of survival. Its hard to know how to help without just hiding money around the house as gifts because you know they will never accept it from you otherwise. There's lots more on that that I would love to talk about but there's no time now. Many people are desperate to leave.