Two decades ago, Rosy migrated from eastern Cuba to Havana seeking prosperity that never materialized. With her husband, she lives in an abandoned former pharmaceutical warehouse at the corner of Cárdenas and Gloria streets, lacking electricity and with only partial drinking water access.
Rosy met her current husband in Havana, who brought her to live in the warehouse abandoned after a basement flood. Previously a dumping ground with nearby muggings, they boarded up the large windows to make it a home. The flooded area poses contamination risks and breeds disease-carrying mosquitoes. Rosy once worked at a workers' cafeteria for food access, while her husband gathers and sells items from dumps. After a break-in while both were out, she now stays home. “With God’s favor, I will get ahead,” she says, her strong faith leading friends to seek her prayers; she tithes to church or aids street dwellers. She adopted Niña, a stray dog bringing joy. Washing with “a little water from the sky” feels like a blessing, and she is grateful for a roof overhead, though anxious about potential eviction by authorities.