The penultimate #weekend-engagement of this year, or is it the last? That depends on how we consider it.
The thing is, it could be that in your country or family, you celebrate on the night of the 24th or the 25th. In my family, we celebrate both because my mom's birthday is on the 25th, so we celebrate both days. However you celebrate, I hope you're having a great time with your family.
So let's get down to business.
I live in a country that is immersed in an intense crisis. In fact, this year-end will be very difficult for some families. They can't even put a decent meal on the table during these celebration days. My country is dying, its inhabitants have lost any trace of hope or joy.
The only thing people think about is when they will leave or when their family member will arrive in another country to help them improve their quality of life. In this situation, the year-end arrives, and although my family is middle-class, thanks to our hard work throughout the year, this year-end will be a moment of celebration.
But I'm aware that the majority can't afford a decent plate of food. So if I had to do an act of charity, it would be this. My house has a spacious dining room where around 20 people can fit.
If I could afford it, I would invite underprivileged people from my neighborhood to a dinner. Most of these people in unfavorable situations are older gentlemen whom I have seen age, and they have seen me grow up.
Neighbors are like family, and seeing these people breaks my heart. So what I would do is create a simple meal, nothing luxurious but something that can feed as many people as possible.
In these last few days here, the temperatures have dropped a bit, so a little soup with some chicken (which is not abundant here) and maybe some croquettes to snack on and spend time together. I know many of these elders love playing board games.
I remember when I was a child, I used to see many of these elders playing dominoes with my dad. That happiness is no longer there, but the desire to help remains.
Normally, what we do every month in my family is randomly give a bit of rice to the most underprivileged in the neighborhood. It's not much help, really, but there's nothing like seeing the gratitude of these people when they receive a little bit of rice (something so simple in your country but scarce here).
What I'm certain I will do is donate some supplies to the hospital where I work. Let me tell you a bit about it.
Throughout this year, I was able to raise some money through my travel project: Estilo Viajero (@estioviajerocu). Since most of my team and I are medical students, we decided to contribute a percentage of the earnings to purchase supplies for the ward where we work at the hospital.
We managed to gather some boxes of syringes, gloves, adhesive tape, painkillers, antipyretics, and with the help of friends who emigrated, we were able to obtain some IV fluids, alcohol, and different-sized catheters. This will allow our supervisors to work more comfortably and will enable us to attend to more patients during our shifts. It took us a year to responsibly deliver a shipment, but knowing that we will be able to help twice as many patients during our shifts makes all the sacrifice and hard work worthwhile.
The truth is, we wanted to create our own version of the "No child without a gift" campaign, but due to bureaucracy, we couldn't make it happen. Regardless, we will still help many people, and that's what matters.
Living in Cuba and experiencing the crisis situation has taught me that there is always someone more in need than you. A plate of food, a greeting, a conversation, or a simple gesture can mean a lot to the person receiving it.
In my case, I support those in need in my neighborhood. I would like to help more, but the truth is, it's not always possible because conflicts can arise. But that's alright. Help is help.
Please, if you know someone in an unfavorable situation or someone in need, donate something to them, give them a bit of food. These are times of happiness, but for these individuals, it's tough moments, so let's support them however we can. We never know when we might find ourselves in that situation. Generosity costs nothing, so let's practice it more.