Submitted by: Sandy Kurtz
Going to Cuba is quite the adventure. It’s been a long time since I’ve ridden around in a ’56 Ford with no safety belt. I spent time in Camaguey away from Havana and big city life. Our leader Jorge Vila is a Cincinnati UU with Cuban heritage. He once visited UUCC to talk about the trips he leads to Cuba. I can recommend going with him if you want to visit in Cuban homes and get to know about the culture.
We met Esther, a woman who has been influential as a regional vice-president in the Cuban Council of Churches. As part of her work she fostered an organization where several ladies in the small city of Esmeralda have jobs creating and producing beautiful baby clothes to sell locally. We visited the shop greeted by several happy ladies and noted the old sewing machines were manually operated with foot treadles. We donated some thread, notions and fabric supplies suitable for sewing and embroidery. Hopefully we at UUCC can collect more supplies for them to use as a worthwhile social justice project.
We also met Lazaro, a leader of Yaruba, an Cuban-African religion adapted from Central Africa by slaves brought to Cuba. Curiously to rise in the Yaruba faith, you must first be baptized in the Catholic Church although the Pope is not deemed ‘forgiving’ of their beliefs. It’s a complex belief system. There were many gods and a God Tree (Ceiba) replacing the baobab tree in Africa. Each God had two special colors. For example Ogoon, a blacksmith represents technology, carries an iron tool. Green and black are his colors. Nino (red and black) can open or close the path for you. Herbs, animal sacrifices, and many holidays for all the gods seemed to play a part too. We visited a room where each god has stones that are kept covered. We weren’t allowed to see them, but you can get your own stones approved by the gods and suited especially for you. And what do you get from these stones? We were told positive energy to do good and ascend to higher ranks.