Since 2010, Narciso Pérez Torres has been visiting the family care system (SAF in Spanish) El Ajiaco, located in the El Batey neighborhood, in the municipality of Amancio. He is blind, retired, and has no family, and in that space, he finds the embrace of those who receive him.
"Amancio, Las Tunas.- The same happens with Silvio Estrada Zayas, who is visually impaired and lives in the Quinto neighborhood of this same locality, and in rainy weather, he manages to get out of the house and reach the SAF because it is the closest thing he has to a family.
Our newspaper traveled through this southern territory and learned from the director of Commerce in the municipality, Yosvany Arias Carmenate, that in El Ajiaco, they receive a total of 72 diners; before, the scenario was not so welcoming, but they decided to change it because their visitors deserved it.
"This SAF facility, since 2024, was included in the facilities to be rehabilitated, starting from the constructive situation it had. We were able to make work with the amenities required by this service. The restaurant and the kitchen are in better condition, therefore, the quality of food preparation is improved.
"Taking into account the economic situation the country is going through, the challenge of maintaining five dishes in the service to the diners is included here. We guarantee rice, stew, viand, salad, and main course, the latter was only offered at one time of the day, now we offer it at both meals, in addition to soft drinks and infusion."
The collective's experience in this task makes visitors feel at home. "There is a close relationship between everyone because they have known each other for a long time. Individual characteristics are taken into account when it comes to serving them," he says.
Yosvany assures that they have the support of organizations such as Health, Culture, and the constant presence of social workers, and they have managed to insert other services such as barbershops and hairdressers free of charge.
The remodeling of this unit was possible thanks to a bank loan that exceeded five million pesos; now, they are on a mission to recover it, and to do so, they already have a solution.
PLAN B
This service is part of the attention to people in vulnerable situations; therefore, it does not generate income and makes them look for a plan B to sustain the investment made there.
"We have looked for alternatives on weekends to provide restaurant service, said the director of Commerce, in which we inserted a group of union sections that are attended in a differentiated way along with their families with offers of food, beer, and some cultural moment."
Pablo Vilá Bravo, SAF administrator, points out that the search is not easy. By their means, they have to manage everything necessary for the elaboration because they must guarantee the services of their social object; and he is grateful for the partnership with the credit and services cooperative (CCS in Spanish) Mártires de Pino 3, which makes donations of spices and salads.
"We have two shifts, each of three workers, with a fixed salary. This weekend modality has allowed us to make a profit in two consecutive months. Since we belong to the Casa del Arroz base business unit (UEB in Spanish), the accounting balance is done in a general way, and the income is shared among all of us."
The magic of maintaining a space like this is complicated, even in times when reinventing ourselves is already part of our daily lives. The people of this SAF have emotions running high, they feel motivated, and, above all, they see this space as their own. They are aware of the place where they work, and that is why they are constantly trying to help those who come to find the warmth of a home.
