Roots of Hope/Raíces de Esperanza

We seek to inspire young people to care about Cuba, think outside the box and proactively support our young counterparts on the island through innovative means.

In 2003, we were founded by college students as an association between the Georgetown and Harvard Cuban American student groups. Today, we encompass a dynamic and diverse group of young servant leaders throughout the U.S. with students at more than 55 universities and young professionals in Boston, New York, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami. We hope to make a positive impact on Cuba – an issue often tangled with pain, separation, fear, emotion, misunderstanding and politics – through academic and cultural initiatives guided by three basic principles: amor, amistad y esperanza (love, friendship and hope). Our ongoing projects aim to promote meaningful exchanges that are mutually empowering to youth on and off the island. We engage all sectors of Cuban youth to facilitate greater communication, understanding and empowerment of young people on both sides of the Florida Straits. By encouraging young people in and outside of Cuba to share experiences, resources and information, we are helping build bridges and networks of collaboration that make our shared hopes and dreams for Cuba’s future a reality. For example, one such project - Cell Phones for Cuba - aims to provide young people in Cuba with refurbished cellular phones. Cell Phones for Cuba will focus on boosting the connectivity of young people on the island and promoting greater means for communication. This project has been featured on CNN, CNN en Español, BBC, NPR and the Wall Street Journal.