Teresita Gil loves laughing, writing, traveling and learning about other cultures. The 21-year-old could be the sweet-voiced girl next door if it weren’t for the fact that Venezuela, her home country, is going through one of the most severe economic and humanitarian crises in the world.
Gil decided to resist in the best way she knew how …
In its Contingency Planning Memorandum the Council on Foreign Relations stated, “Basic food and medicines for Venezuela’s approximately 30 million citizens are increasingly scarce, and the devastation of the health care system has spurred outbreaks of treatable diseases and rising death rates.” While some are already talking about a Venezuelan refugee crisis, it’s fairly clear: The oil-rich land has been turned upside down.
But Gil decided to resist in the best way she knew how. Leveraging her internet savvy and her charisma, she created a YouTube channel, “Turista en Caracas,” where she promotes tourism in Caracas. There, she visits the remains of what used to be a promising Caribbean paradise and shows the beautiful and sunny side of the city.
Gil came up with the idea almost two years ago as a way to monetize the videos and gain some dollars to pay for her multiple sclerosis treatments. Due to Venezuela’s crisis, her medication has to be imported and costs at least $ 600 per month.
There are more than 3,000 patients with MS in Venezuela. Fortunately, Gil is one of them, and one with a solution.
