"One day, in early-August, just before 5 p.m., Marta Perez was seen begging for money. She was doing so under the relentless sun that was beating down on San Rafael Boulevard. With her finely-wrinkled skin, striped dress, short hair and very long nails, she was like an apparition on the streets of Havana. The 70-year-old was pushing her one-year-old granddaughter in a stroller."
"Marta would need approximately 41,735 Cuban pesos (almost $100 on the informal market) to guarantee a month of decent food. This is the equivalent of 20 monthly minimum wages or two years of pensions to sit at the table with a plate of rice, beans, meat and some type of root vegetable or salad."
"Marta lives with her daughter a pregnant teaching assistant her three grandchildren and her 79-year-old husband, who receives a pension. However, it's barely enough to buy groceries. Marta, who, for years, sold croquettes, ice cream and soft drinks at El Viso restaurant in the urban neighborhood of El Vedado, was also entitled to her pension, but her employment record was lost, thus rendering her lifelong job worthless."
A 70-year-old grandmother, Marta Perez, begs for money in Havana while pushing her one-year-old granddaughter to try to secure food. Her household includes a pregnant daughter, three grandchildren, and a husband on a meager pension that barely covers groceries. Marta previously sold food at a restaurant but lost her employment record and pension benefits. Occasional cleaning and washing jobs provide sporadic income. The Food Monitor Program calculated that 41,735 Cuban pesos (almost $100 on the informal market) are needed for a month of decent food, equal to 20 minimum wages or two years of pensions.
Read at english.elpais.com
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