Dear, Reader,

I came home from Cuba on Sunday evening with a broken heart.

I knew things were difficult.

My family had been telling me about the blackouts, the shortages, the rising prices, and the struggle to find basic necessities. But there is a difference between hearing about suffering and standing in the middle of it. I spent three nights in Santiago de Cuba, and I barely slept.

It was incredibly hot. The electricity was out most nights. The mosquitoes were relentless. But what stayed with me wasn’t the heat or the lack of sleep. It was watching my sister figure out how to cook dinner. When there is no electricity, she builds a makeshift fire outside using charcoal and whatever she can find to get it started.

It brought me back to my childhood. My grandmother once cooked with wood. Later, my family cooked with kerosene. I never imagined that my sister would one day be doing something similar.

But this is her reality today.

Electricity may be available for only about two hours a day.

Two hours to cook.
Two hours to charge a phone.
Two hours to keep food cold.
Two hours to run a fan.

A few months ago, I was able to purchase an EcoFlow for my sister. I knew it would help, but I didn’t realize how much she would depend on it—to keep food in her freezer, cook rice when she can, and run a fan at night.

It isn’t a luxury.

It has become a lifeline.

And then I started delivering the donations you helped me bring. The baby supplies went to my pregnant nieces. Other supplies went to another pregnant woman, two women with newborns, older neighbors, and people my sister knew were struggling.

A mosquito net.

Vitamins.

Medicine.

Rechargeable lights.

A fan.

Baby clothes.

Small things to us.

Huge things to someone who has been trying to make it through another blackout.

I left Cuba knowing that I had helped some people. But I also left knowing how many people I couldn’t help. That's the hardest part. So I’m going back.

October 1–7, the Cuba Humanitarian Journey continues.

I’ll travel to Havana with a small group of travelers who want to experience Cuba through meaningful human connection while helping carry humanitarian supplies. After they return home, I plan to continue to Santiago to spend more time with my family and bring additional supplies to people who need them.

And this time, I want to take more.

If you can’t travel with me, you can still be part of this journey.

You can sponsor supplies.
You can donate items from the supply list.
You can ask your dentist or medical office about extra toothbrushes, toothpaste, masks, or first-aid supplies.
You can ask your church, food bank, workplace, or community organization to help collect shelf-stable food and essential items.

And with Labor Day sales coming up, it's a perfect opportunity to pick up a few things for the next suitcase.

Every pound matters.
Every item matters.

I don’t know how to fix what is happening in Cuba.

But I know what I can do.

I can show up.
I can bring what I can carry.
And I can keep telling the story of the people I love.

I wrote the full story, including what I witnessed in Santiago and why I’m going back — in my newest blog post:

I Came Back From Cuba With a Broken Heart

​Read the full story →​

If you would like to donate supplies, sponsor a humanitarian kit, or join me in Cuba in October, you’ll find the information at the end of the story.

Thank you for listening.

And thank you for helping me continue this mission.

With gratitude,

Sheyla Paz​
Founder & Luxury Travel Advisor

Travel with purpose. Deliver hope. Experience Cuba through human connection.

Sheyla Adventure Travel, LLC™ | Nashville, TN 37212