Mid-May, we read an article in De Stentor (newspaper) about Stichting Amistad con Cuba. It immediately caught our attention: a foundation in Zwolle that helps Cubans in need.

Friendship with Mayra

We ourselves have had intensive contact for over half a century with Mayra Izquierdo, who lives in a suburb of Havana.

Mayra arrived in Zwolle in March 1970, a sixteen-year-old girl all alone from Havana. She has had cerebral palsy since birth. She was due to undergo an operation at De Weezenlanden hospital, followed by therapy, in the hope that she would learn to walk.

Lonely

Mayra felt lonely and cried a lot. The hospital staff sympathised with her and soon a circle of friends formed around her. Remarkably, she learned to speak Dutch in a few weeks. Due to a medical setback, Mayra had to stay in Zwolle much longer. Fortunately, her mother was able to travel from Cuba. They were offered a house in Zwolle where they could live together.

Back to Havana

After a stay of about four years, Mayra and her mother had to return to Havana. Unfortunately, the therapies did not have a lasting effect. Contact with Mayra and her mother was subsequently maintained for a long time via the embassies in The Hague and Havana. Later, that contact dwindled. Three of the four parcels we sent by post to Cuba did not arrive.

Not long after, it became possible to reach Mayra via email. For several years now, we have also been in contact via WhatsApp. Our family has visited Mayra in Havana multiple times over the past few decades, including our two daughters, who until then had only known her from our stories.

24-hour care

Mayra requires 24-hour care due to her disability. This care is partially funded by our family. During the day, she is usually in her wheelchair in front of her house. And remarkably enough: Mayra still speaks Dutch.

Call: Visit Mayra

Mayra would be very happy if people from the Netherlands holidaying in Cuba would visit her. She would be even happier if someone would take her for a day to the tourist part of Havana, where it's impossible for her to go on her own.

We hope that this appeal via the Amistad con Cuba Foundation can contribute to Mayra's wish coming true.

Stichting Amistad con Cuba is a Dutch humanitarian foundation dedicated to providing direct aid to vulnerable people in Cuba. Through solidarity, friendship, and cooperation between people from both countries, the foundation strives to improve the quality of life for those who need it most. Stories like Mayra's demonstrate how bonds of friendship can endure for decades and still make a significant difference in people's lives.

Contact can be made with Mayra through us.

Cecile and Imke Jelle
Tel. +31 - 625172519

Stichting Amistad con Cuba
Friendship changes lives. 🇨🇺🇳🇱