Cuba: ACN repairs cars needed to reach remote communities

Sisters walk on remote roads Santa Clara, where repairs to cars are urgently needed (Image: ACN).

Source: Aid to the Church in Need

More than 40 cars are back on the road in remote areas of Cuba that would have ground to a halt without support from Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). The charity has answered the call to help with repair and maintenance of cars and vans in Santa Clara Diocese, in Camagüey, central Cuba.

Bishop Marcelo Arturo González Amador of Santa Clara, told ACN: "As far as the vehicles are concerned, they are indispensable for the pastoral care of the faithful in their various communities. The cars are very worn out and, with no alternatives for replacement, they require constant visits to garages and mechanics."

The diocese was established in 1995 and is responsible for the two central provinces of Villa Clara and Sancti Spiritus.

Roads in these areas are challenging and difficult to access, so vehicles are vital to allow pastoral teams to reach remote communities. But most of the 44 vehicles date back to the 1990s and are used by clergy to visit at least two communities a day.

The area has roughly 518,900 Catholics, 18 congregations and more than 30 people benefit from having the vehicles including priests, Sisters and lay volunteers.

Cars and vans are the primary means of reaching far-flung communities but maintaining them has become a burden for the diocese. Clergy and catechists are forced to rely on alternatives such as hitchhiking, buses or bicycles - options that are less efficient, less reliable and often more expensive.

ACN help has enabled repairs including basic issues, such as steering maintenance, electrical problems, brakes, and other concerns that are easy to solve but disrupt the mission.

Bishop Amador said the assistance allows the continuation of their "vital work of spreading hope and offering support to those in need."

He added: "Your support for this project is an investment in the lives of those who rely on the diocese for care and guidance. Your generosity will have a lasting impact, helping the mission to flourish and extend its reach even further."

LINK

Aid to the Church in Need: https://acnuk.org