Since this is the first time I am writing a blog post here, I would like to start by introducing myself.
My name is Jennifer. I am a dance teacher and the organizer of Salsatour trips to Cuba. Through my travels and the trips I organize, my goal is to show people the Cuba that I fell in love with.
I am from Norway, one of the wealthiest countries in the world. The contrast between Norway and Cuba is enormous.Â
Travelling to Cuba has changed the way I look at my own life. It has made me realize how fortunate I am and how much I have to be grateful for. Sometimes, living in Norway feels like I have won the lottery simply because of where I was born.
Travelling to Cuba has also changed me as a person. I appreciate many things today that I may previously have taken for granted, because I have seen with my own eyes how poverty and difficult living conditions can affect people’s everyday lives.
I travelled to Cuba for the first time in 2018. At that time, I knew very little about the country. I had not done much research, and I did not really know what to expect. The only things I knew were that people spoke Spanish—which I also speak—and that Cuba is the home of Cuban salsa.
For someone who loves dancing salsa, that sounded like a perfect destination.
During my first trip, I met many Cuban people. I was honestly surprised by how welcoming, kind, caring and open they were. There was something about their energy that I had never experienced before. I felt safe. I had fun and I danced a lot.
Of course, Cuba also offered beautiful beaches, warm weather and great company. But there was something more than that.
There was a feeling—something that cannot be explained, only experienced and felt.
At the time, I did not fully realize how much this trip had affected me. I thought I had simply been on a wonderful holiday. It was not until I was saying goodbye to the people I had met and sitting on the plane home that I understood.
As the plane flew above Havana and I looked down at the city from the sky, I knew that this would not be my last time in Cuba. I remember feeling emotional and incredibly grateful that I had been able to experience this country, its people and its culture.
Cuba Became More Than Just a Holiday Destination
When I returned home, I stayed in contact with several of the Cuban people I had met.
The first time you visit a new country, you do not always notice everything happening around you. You are focused on the experience, the new impressions and all the new things you are discovering. But the more often you return to the same place, the more you begin to understand.
You make more friends. You learn more about the culture. You learn more about how people live. You begin to notice things that you may not have noticed during your first visit. Over the years, I have also seen how Cuba has changed from 2018 until today.
I will write more about this in future blog posts, where I will also share more about the work we are doing and the people we are trying to help during my trips to Cuba.
Why We Collect Donations
Through the generosity of people who choose to donate, we have the opportunity to help families and individuals who are struggling.
And I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who makes this possible.
Sometimes we may think that what we do is too small to make a difference. We may think that one donation, one meal or one small act of kindness is only a drop in the ocean.
But I have come to realize something.
Even if I cannot change the entire world, I can help make one person’s day a little better.
Maybe we can help someone have a better week.
Maybe we can make a difficult month a little easier.
And sometimes, that is enough to make a real difference.
There is also something incredibly meaningful about being able to see the direct impact of the help. It brings joy not only to the people receiving it, but also to those of us who have the opportunity to help and witness the difference being made.
This is something we want to continue doing.
During my most recent trip to Cuba in August 2026, one of the things we did was purchase meals from a local restaurant and distribute them to people we met in the streets who appeared to be in particularly difficult situations.
The reality today is that many people in Cuba are struggling. However, even during difficult times, there are always people who are in an even more vulnerable situation than others.
Our goal was simple: to make someone’s day a little better by giving them a warm meal.
By purchasing the food from a local restaurant, we were also able to support a local business and the people working there.
For us, this is an important part of how we want to help—supporting people directly while also contributing to local businesses whenever possible.
How You Can Help
If you would like to support our Cuba fund, you can make a donation through this link using Vipps.
If you live outside Norway, you can donate through our PayPal account.
100% of the donated money goes directly towards helping people in Cuba.
Those of us who organize and carry out this work do so voluntarily. We receive no salary or personal profit from the donations, and the work is done on our own initiative and in our free time.
Every contribution, no matter how big or small, can help us do more.