Finca Marta
By Mike Galski
Photos by Vanessa K. Harper
During my trip to Cuba, I had the privilege of meeting a lot of amazing people. I got to listen to their stories, the obstacles they had to overcome, and their inspirational triumphs. The story that resonated the most with me was the story of Fernando Funes and his farm, Finca Marta.
Fernando came into possession of a rundown piece of farmland. For his farm to succeed, he needed a source of fresh water. Water is the lifeblood of any farm. Without it, crops will not grow, and livestock cannot survive. Fernando’s only hope was to dig a well on his property. He enlisted the help of an elderly man, Pozo “Juan Machado,” who was known in the community as “the well digger.”
The two of them wasted no time in starting the task at hand. Without access to heavy machinery, they had to dig with shovels and pickaxes. Even under ideal circumstances, this would require a lot of labor. But, the conditions were not ideal. In fact, they were in the worst-case scenario; Fernando and his friend had to dig through solid rock. They spent seven months, from dawn until dusk, picking and hammering away at the mountain to save Fernando’s dream, without the benefit of knowing whether or not water was beneath them.
The seven months of hard labor took its toll on Fernando’s health and body. Out of fear for his wellbeing, Fernando’s family held interventions to encourage him to give up on his obsessive quest. But Fernando would not give up. He put his faith in “the well digger” who promised him that they would find water. They just have to keep digging. Each day, they raced against the setting sun to pick away at one more rock to get only an inch closer to their goal. This is a story that exemplifies the spirit of the Cuban people. Fernando’s hard work and perseverance paid off; he found the water that would save his farm.
He and his family celebrated by taking a cool dip in the well. Fernando’s persistence and work ethics are not the only attributes that make him a great hero. Fernando grew his farm and became prosperous by Cuban standards.
But it was not his own success that made this man proud. He was proud that he was able to share his prosperity with those who helped him. If everyone had Fernando’s moral fiber, the world would be a better place.
I hope to return to Cuba someday and revisit Finca Marta. Fernando’s story will serve as an inspiration for me in decades to come. He has taught me that no challenge is too great to overcome. He believed in himself and with the help and support of his friends and family, he managed to achieve the seemingly impossible.