how we got started
Help Cubans in Guyana began with a question that I couldn’t stop asking myself.
How can I help?
Over the last few years, I’ve been reconnecting with my Cuban heritage.
I didn’t grow up speaking Cuban Spanish.
I didn’t grow up surrounded by Cuban traditions, music or family stories.
Like many people in the diaspora, somewhere along the generations, those connections were lost.
That journey led me to create Learn Cuban Spanish, where I share my personal journey of reconnecting with my Cuban heritage while helping others learn the language and discover the beauty of Cuban culture.
But the more I learned about Cuba, the harder it became to separate my love for the culture from the reality that many Cuban people are living through today.
I wanted to help.
So I donated.
But once I’d made my donation, I never found out if it had reached the people who needed it most, or what difference it had actually made.
Then I volunteered.
I booked a six-month trip to Cuba, hoping to use my skills to support people in person.
But I quickly realised there was only so much I could do while facing many of the same challenges as the people I had gone to help.
I lasted just one week.
It left me asking a different question.
How can I use my skills where they’ll have the greatest impact?
Because I don’t think I’m alone in feeling this.
Most of us have fundraised or donated to a charity before.
We receive a thank you email.
Maybe an annual report.
Maybe a plushie toy.
But we rarely get to see the human story behind our contribution.
We rarely get to meet the person whose life was changed because ordinary people decided to help.
When I discovered the growing Cuban community in Guyana, everything changed.
Why Thousands of Cubans Are Migrating to Guyana
The New York Times
Thousands of Cubans have travelled there in search of new opportunities and a better future.
Guyana is one of the few countries Cuban citizens can enter without first obtaining a visa.
Many arrive with valuable skills, qualifications and experience, but face one significant challenge: communicating in English.
Without the language, finding work, attending interviews, speaking to employers or navigating everyday life becomes far more difficult.
One man had years of professional experience but couldn’t use his skills because he couldn’t communicate confidently in English.
Another spoke about starting again from nothing.
Kean Chase from Catholic Charities Guyana, said something that has stayed with me ever since:
“We need the migrants as much as the migrants need us.”
Everything clicked.
Hola! I'm Renée
You might know me online as La Cubritánica.
I’m a British content creator reconnecting with my Cuban roots through language, culture and travel.
Through my platform, Learn Cuban Spanish, I help people understand Cuban Spanish, discover Cuban culture and build confidence communicating with Cuban people around the world.
But my work extends far beyond social media.
Over the past decade, I’ve built a career centred around one thing:
Helping people create better opportunities for themselves.
Sometimes that has meant helping people communicate with confidence through language education.
Sometimes it has meant helping people find meaningful employment through recruitment and HR.
Sometimes it has meant managing projects that improve public services and strengthen local communities.
And through Learn Cuban Spanish, it has also meant connecting students from around the world with native Cuban Spanish teachers. Promoting their expertise through marketing and creating opportunities for them to earn an income doing what they love.
My background includes:
I’m a qualified TEFL (Teach English as a foreign language) and ELE teacher with over six years teaching English and Spanish to children and adults.
I’m a trained Neurolanguage Coach specialising in brain-friendly approaches to learning and I’m currently studying a degree in Languages.
Having learned Spanish and Portuguese myself, I understand what it’s like to learn a new language from the learner’s perspective—not just the teacher’s.
Alongside education, I’ve built a career managing projects and programmes for local government and international organisations.
Looking back, I can see how each chapter of my career has prepared me for this moment.
Teaching has shown me how language changes lives.
Recruitment has shown me how meaningful employment changes lives.
Project management has taught me how to turn ideas into reality.
Building Learn Cuban Spanish has shown me how education, marketing and community can create opportunities for native Cuban teachers.
And reconnecting with my own Cuban heritage has given me a deeply personal reason to bring all of those experiences together.
Help Cubans in Guyana is where those experiences meet.
It’s an opportunity to use everything I’ve learned, to help create confidence, opportunity and stronger communities through language.
mission
To empower Cuban migrants in Guyana through language, education and opportunity, helping them build confident, independent lives while strengthening connections with the communities around them.
vision
A future where every Cuban migrant in Guyana has the language, confidence and opportunities to thrive without losing the culture, traditions and identity that make them who they are.
COre values
❤️ Compassion
I believe every person deserves dignity, respect and the opportunity to rebuild their life with confidence.
📚 Education
I believe language is one of the most powerful tools for creating opportunity, independence and long-term success.
🤝 Community
I believe stronger communities are built when people connect, learn from one another and support each other.
🌍 Cultural Preservation
I believe integration should never require people to leave their culture behind. Cuban language, traditions, music, dance, food and identity should be celebrated
🚀 Empowerment
I don’t believe in creating dependency. I provide people with the skills, knowledge and opportunities to build their own futures.
🔍 Transparency
I am committed to being open and accountable, ensuring my supporters know how donations are used and the impact they create.
💡 Opportunity
I believe that talent should never be limited by a language barrier. My work exists to help open doors to employment, entrepreneurship and new beginnings.