April 30, 2026
Good news! MEDICC has thus far ensured round-the-clock electricity from new solar panels/batteries for seven maternity homes in Havana, and we are on our way to more. A local private contractor has received a MEDICC grant…thanks to generous donations from the world over…to install the panels, after joining the MEDICC team for evaluation site visits to each home.
Given rolling blackouts, these maternity homes urgently need energy independence to keep the lights on and offer a resilient, sustainable solution for their future and that of their highly vulnerable guests. As you know, the community-based homes provide 24/7 medical care, meals and a stress-free environment for high-risk expectant mothers.
The homes benefited thus far are in the municipalities of Habana del Este, 10 de Octubre, Playa, Centro Habana, Cotorro, La Lisa and Habana Vieja.
MEDICC’s Light for Life campaign is also making news, featured in:
- The Nation (“…MEDICC, a public health nonprofit, is raising $62,000 for a private Cuban contractor to install solar panel systems at 10 maternity homes, which are temporary residences for women facing difficult pregnancies. In addition to trying to reverse infant-mortality trends, the idea is to make a donation that won’t wear out or get used up but will keep producing energy for years to come…”)
- Science, the magazine of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS); and
- Minnesota Public Radio, an affiliate of NPR
Fuel shortages continue to upend Cuban family life and endanger pregnant women and their unborn children. In fact, Cuba is seeing an alarming increase in infant mortality and maternal mortality, even as Washington tightens its sanctions with a full-blown blockade on vital oil supplies.
Today, MEDICC appeals to everyone in the USA and worldwide who care about Cuba’s expectant mothers and their newborns to join the organization to continue switching the lights on for life, reaching 15 maternity homes in working-class Havana neighborhoods and beyond. Please donate today.
MEDICC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations from U.S. citizens and residents are legal and tax deductible to the fullest extent of U.S. law. We also welcome contributions from abroad.