Lenin Vocational School starts year without breakfast and with water and power problems
More than 1,200 students are enrolled at the Havana school, where the cafeteria provides lunch and dinner but no breakfast.
The Lenin Vocational School, officially the Vladimir Ilyich Lenin Vocational Pre-University Institute of Exact Sciences, began the 2026-2027 year on September 14 with more than 1,200 students. The Havana high-performance school does not include breakfast among its food services. The cafeteria provides lunch and dinner, while product availability and variety are also difficult.
Lack of breakfast joins daily problems affecting students in dormitories. The food offering is limited to two meals, and varied products are difficult to obtain. Some students use private cafeterias, whose prices raise family expenses. Food inside and outside the school therefore becomes central to residential students' experience.
Dormitories also report electricity interruptions and difficulty getting water to upper floors. Students describe power available only a few hours per day and carrying water upstairs. They use lamps, batteries and electric cookers to organize basic needs with limited resources.
The gym, cinema and sports facilities have reportedly been out of operation for more than five years. Students leave the boarding school every 15 days amid fuel difficulties. External donations have supported medical care. Those elements describe conditions accompanying the school year beyond classes and cafeteria services.