Social Centers as a Proposal for Everyone

The year 1960 brought to Cuba favorable social changes and after the triumph of the Cuban Revolution on January 1st of 1959, the most important and urgent for Fidel Castro was to come to fruition his ideas shown on his book entitled’ La Historia me absolvera.’

With this aim, the U.S. enterprises were nationalized which used to belong to Fulgencio Batista’s dictatorship and not only their names changed but also their owners. The Cuban people became the only one in having the right to decide the nation’s destiny without any more interventions.

The social centers appeared as centers that were then part of different local institutions to guarantee a place for entertainment and recreation.

After that and with the approval of the economic and social guidelines of the Cuban Revolution and its party, the Social centers for Workers were built for the fair attention of all those institutions.

Quality, Comfortable and Variety

Over 200 people have daily access to a Social Center in Havana city and that city has nine:

Marcelo Salado, José Ramón Rodríguez, Féliz Elmulza, Julio Antonio Mella, Gerardo Abreu Fontán, José Luis Tassende, Otto Parellada, Armando Mestre and Aracelio Iglesia. All of them located in Playa municipality.

Intended for the capital city’s union entertainment, the Social Centers of Havana city are the result of the local government’s endeavor, along with the provincial enterprise and the working staff that was working in one of them to offer the best service and excellent offers.

“The services we offer are a beach, swimming pool and access to restaurants, coffee shops, bars, sports facilities and game rooms. “ Elsa Guerra Valiente, who is the assistant director of the specialized service of the Social Centers for Workers of Havana city, explained.

“In our facilities, the vacationers have a programmed snack which includes a sandwich, a local malta soda drink and the lunch accompanied with a bottled beers, an option of jam for children and a bottle of rum for four people. All of that through a value which never surpass the $ 200.00 Peso (local currency).” He added.

The access to the services that are offered in those recreational centers is carried out through an invitation got by the worker and it gives the right to take up to three more people.

“This is done this way to avoid the crowds before each of the areas as that causes the visitor’s unease; therefore, we try not to surpass our reception limit. We prefer quality and not quantity.” Mirielis González Cruz, who is the director of the Marcelo Salado Social Center, said.

In addition to those economic options and their comfort, the local Social centers of Havana city are highly demanded due to their comfort, the good treatment to their workers and because of it is a chance for the entertainment of the family, above all.

“In this local summer time, the attendance of people has been bigger than the one registered in the past years. However, the fact about seeing more families visiting the facility is what has featured this from other simmer periods.” Yamilet Hierrezuelo Hernández pointed out.

The director assistant of the specialized services of that same facility, Yan Rolando Reyes Pouso, referred that a feedback mechanism is designed to get know the users’ opinions on that facility.

“We daily carry out a survey for the associated people to get to know what can we improve from the related services because we do not feel satisfied about what we are doing well. Our job should respond to the people’s needs who visit us.”

Beyond its Usual Functions

Even though the aforementioned facilities exist to encourage the workers in the summer time, there are some of them which also extend their activities into other population sector.

“The local Social Sociales Obreros of Havana city and the Provincial Committee of the Communist Youth Party (UJC) set up a strategy for the young people who could have access those facilities.” Elsa Guerra Valiente, who is the assistant director of that enterprise, said.

“Wednesday is the chosen day for that family group who get the same services that the rest of the regular clients.” She added.

According to Maidelis García Miranda, who is an official of the ideological department of the provincial committee of the UJC, a great part of that youth universe is benefitted as it is represented by the Senior High School, University Federation, members of the Marti Youth Movement and the José Martí Art Instructors, as well as the young cadets and officials of the local Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) and Ministry of Interior (MININT).

In addition, the Social Centers have some facilities and rooms where the related protection and services are being offered for associated and members of the workers of that sector and they are ready to carry out weddings, 15-year old parties, birthdays and recreational activities for enterprises.