My Story

Jocotenango, where your child lives, is in the state of Sacatepéquez, Guatemala and is a suburb of Antigua.  It is an urban environment and is inhabited by both Quiché Indians and Ladinos (those with mixed European ancestry).  Most of the children attend school, but financial hardship affects many families and forces most of the children to leave after the sixth grade.  Only one out of ten children finishes high school.  Children in this area face temptations from gangs and drugs.

Hello, my name is Ruth Nohemy Aquino Acajabon. I was born on August 21, 2009 and I am 12 years old. I am a healthy girl. My father’s name is Orlando Aquino Vasquez and he works as a mason’s helper to cover our needs. My mother’s name is Jeaneth Josefina Acajabon Lopez, and she is a housewife. I have two sisters and one brother; he is the oldest one and lives in another place. My family is in good health, but my father is a diabetic person. He is stable now but he sometimes has problems with his pressure; he is taking his medicine to control it. Thank God, none of my family or close relatives has gotten Covid-19. We live in a rented house with other four families. We have one room and our kitchen, and they are made of concrete block with a tin sheet roof and concrete floor. We share the yard, bathroom and sink with the other families as well as the running water and electricity bills.

I am in fifth grade this year and I am receiving study guides to work them at home every fifteen days. I help with the cleaning in my free time. I only keep playing inside my house due to the pandemic. I love pink color and guinea pigs. My favorite food is fried chicken and French fries. I have fish and one guinea pig as pets. I usually walked 10 minutes to arrive to the feeding program, but it had to close its doors due to the pandemic. We are part of a church called Lamb of God, but currently, we are watching our services online due to the virus. This is my personal information, and I hope you can find it interesting.

With much love

Ruth Nohemy Aquino Acajabon

Translated by: Loyda de Osorio/AAC Secretary, Antigua