Sandra Marvelis Cisneros lost her sight at thirty-eight, but nothing can stop her…
“The scent of the sea fills the Copacabana Hotel. We were received there with special warmth. And the real surprise, the enormous surprise, was the sessions from October 7th to 9th of the IX Congress of the National Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired (ANCI), at the Havana Convention Center. There, you walk and hear the water of the fountain beneath the metal staircase. And to know that Fidel was there so many times for important meetings, congresses, and events. It's awe-inspiring to walk in the footsteps of someone who helped the blind in Cuba and around the world so much, because Operation Miracle, which he founded with Chávez, was, is, and will be a work of boundless love.”
Sandra Marvelis refers to the topics discussed at the Congress: “The eighteen delegates from Holguín, along with hundreds from across the country, had the opportunity to assess the value of the ANCI (National Association of the Blind). For this reason, we discussed Artificial Intelligence and technological resources that can aid communication for blind and visually impaired people. We also considered the need to reopen the school in Havana for training blind people, and it will reopen in February. We discussed the treatment we receive as patients with retinitis pigmentosa, which involves two hospitalizations per year, each lasting twenty days. It was a good congress because it allowed us to unite and recognize the efforts the state makes to provide support and security to those of us who are blind.”
Regarding the concerns of the residents of Calixto García, he stated, “We are 120 members of the ANCI in the municipality of Calixto García. It's a rural municipality, so our members are scattered across the vast area, and communication isn't easy. We need telephones to encourage, motivate, and communicate. Some have access to them, others don't. And we need special assistance. That was one of the topics discussed at the congress.”
He clarified, “We have the radio, and that's a resource we're using again as a way to connect with others. It's a resource we haven't fully utilized in the area, even though we've had a station since 1986. Now we have a journalist covering the ANCI, and that's a victory.”
When asked about opportunities, he said, “Consolidating monthly gatherings in members' homes is an opportunity to share the positive aspects of unity. It's important, very important, in the face of life's problems and complexities.” In our gatherings, we can count on family and friends who provide genuine companionship.
We have an artist of the caliber of María Eugenia Torres, who has represented us in many activities. There are even recordings of her on our radio station, and she promotes herself with songs by local composers.
With the pride of a grateful daughter of this Calixto Grande land, she added, “We have the work of artists like Norberto Carralero, who won a national theater award with a group of ANCI members from our town. Norberto is in Jagüeyes now. If we knock on his door again, I'm sure he'll lend us a hand.
We enjoy the close support of several members. We live in the Nuevo Buenaventura neighborhood, thanks to government assistance that has provided us with comfortable housing. This closeness within a very active group guarantees actions that have a real impact.
We have a space in the Onelio Jorge Cardoso Public Library dedicated to mental health, which deserves greater support from our members.”
It is a joy to experience the solidarity of children, young people, and adults who help us overcome the barriers imposed by blindness, and their assistance in removing architectural barriers in markets is also invaluable.
The beautiful thing is to feel the affection and goodwill of those who don't see us as beings to be pitied, but as Cubans with the capacity to work and help us become a better people and society.”
Speaking of the congress's farewell, Sandra Marvelis Cisnero gratefully told us, “And Havana bid us farewell with the Tropicana's streams of air. Mulatto women passed by with lanterns on their heads. That's what they told me, and I felt them with their heels tapping out the rhythm. I felt the streams and Cuba with its palm trees and that rainbow that is reborn in the eyes of the heart.”
