Early in the morning, attorneys Zobeida Marrero Quintana and Aliuska López Reyes receive me in their office. Of the seven specialists that the Department of Foreign Trade, Foreign Investment and International Economic Cooperation of the People's Power of Matanzas has -created on December 26, 2019 in all the provinces of the country-, two of them have remained for the moment. Some officials were sent to other municipalities that needed support, others remain isolated because a family member was declared positive.

The two rooms they occupy in the large government house, built in the 19th century, seem small, because the packages and boxes of two recently received donations are crowded together.

It's not that they were delayed in their distribution, Zobeida explains to me, it's that a new center is being set up in Jagüey, and these donations will cover part of their needs. “This one here – he refers to the second room – belongs to the Air Navigation Company, and consists of masks, bath and laundry soaps, disinfectants, toilet paper, mattresses, floor blankets, etc. And that one over there is from the Cuban Fund for Cultural Assets in Havana, with sheets, covers, 8,000 facemasks, some detergent, bleach, and soap.”

The first donation received in Matanzas, in October 2020, came from Zhejiang, China, and contained masks and gloves. By then, the pandemic was just beginning its dizzying ascent with new strains. Given the increase in cases, a group of countries expressed their intention to make donations: Spain, Italy, Mexico, Canada and China itself. But it is exciting to know that it is the Cuban people who have mobilized most quickly. Every day telephone calls are received from natural persons, self-employed, artists, musical groups, companies that have collected donations, among them, recalls Zobeida, the Director of the National Symphony Orchestra, the Havana Art Factory and the baseball player from Matanzas Yadir Drake.

As of July 12 and 13, 2021, the new stage began: in those days the donation from the Council of Churches of Cuba entered, which was distributed among the Evangelical Seminary, the Center for Reflection and Dialogue, where there are isolation centers - the Evangelical Seminary is an extension of the Pediatric Hospital, with children positive for COVID-19 -, and the Cárdenas hospital. These donations consisted of means of protection, nasobucos, masks, disposable overcoats, food, medicines, toiletries, surface and hand disinfectants.

Zobeida is exhaustive in the description of the donors, what is donated and its recipients. It is aided by a table with data. He doesn't want to forget anything.

On July 14, the musical group Buena Fe arrived, with donations from the Egrem that they had received and transferred to Matanzas. Various artists collaborated in that installment. They brought medicines, food, means of protection and hygiene, both surface and personal. Medications for use in minors were for the Pediatric Hospital; those for the elderly, for the isolation center that is at the University of Matanzas, and the rest of the supplies were delivered to the one that works at the Carlos Marx Vocational School of Exact Sciences.

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“Donations have principles that we follow. Decree Law 16 establishes that the will of the donor be respected. Buena Fe said that it delivered the donation to the provincial government, and that it disposed of it where it was most needed. Kcho, the well-known visual artist, however –he arrived on the afternoon of the 14th– wanted to go to the isolation centers to deliver it personally. He brought all these things: disinfectants, chlorine, masks, but also storybooks for children, cardboard, crayons, cookies, soft drinks, and he went to the Pediatric Hospital, to the University of Medical Sciences where there are two isolation centers, and to the Canimao hotel, which is an extension of the Pediatric. This delivery had a very positive impact between parents and children.

On the 16th, a donation from the town of Santa Clara arrived, in which people from other municipalities took part. Natural persons brought it in their private cars, and they did not accept a drop of fuel that the Government of Santa Clara offered. All expenses were at your own expense. They did so knowing that they would be isolated for 14 days upon their return. They brought root vegetables, garlic, onions, chili peppers, tomato puree, sweet potatoes, fruits, food in large quantities, and they went to the centers, because they wanted the donation to go to the patients who were there and to the doctors and nurses.

They knew and appreciated the sacrifice and dedication of the Health personnel. They came with their very detailed box of medicines, which they delivered to the person in charge of the institution, plus food, plus everything else they brought: masks, detergents, bath and laundry soaps, surface and hand disinfectants, clothes, sheets towels. This donation was taken to the EIDE isolation center, which has around 160 beds, and to the CECE in the industrial zone, with a very positive impact.

They explained the reasons for what they were doing. The administrator of the industrial zone, a rude man, from work, could not answer, his throat knotted with emotion. They are already preparing another trip with donations.

This Sunday the 18th, a donation from Canada entered the Varadero airport, with medicines and means of protection for the Cárdenas hospital. He arrived at five in the afternoon. She was received by Zobeida's counterpart in that municipality, and by the director of the destination hospital. All the papers were in order. Since the intention to donate these materials was known, on Tuesday of last week, the procedures began. There is good communication between the provincial government, the Mincex and the Minsap. It was delivered on Monday.

Canada intends to donate similar charges from now on to all hospitals in Matanzas.

There is the variant of monetary donations. An account in national currency was opened for this purpose, in the Provincial Directorate of Finance and Prices. The Club de Autos Lada de La Habana donated 5,000 pesos, and a company from the University of Havana donated 6,200 pesos. This money is used in expenses related to welfare work.

In short, it is a whole spontaneous solidarity movement, which does not distinguish between the state and the private, the personal or the public. Among Cubans, always, the hand on the shoulder.