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 Eduardo Mateo Tiu Felipe. I was born on June 3, 2013, and I am 8 years old. I am a healthy boy, and I am in first grade this year; I am receiving study guides every week. I play soccer, draw and color in my free time. I love red, and I like wolves. My favorite food is guacamole. I have two brothers and one sister. I live about ten minutes away from the feeding program. We are attending a Christian Church called New Jerusalem. We are a family of low resources, and it is hard for my mother to cover all our needs, especially from school because she has to reduce the food expenses.

My father’s name is Gabino Mendez, but he did not legally recognized me because he abandoned my mother when she was pregnant with me. My oldest sister is his daughter too, but both of us only have our mother’s last name. We have not had news from him since he abandoned us. My mother’s name is Maria Tiu Felipe, and she has been the only one who has been covering the home expenses. Her job consists of tending a grocery store and making tortillas to sell in the same place. We live in a rented three-room house which is made of concrete block with a terrace roof and ceramic floor. We have running water and electricity. This is my personal information, and I hope you can find it interesting.

Blessings and hugs

Eduardo Mateo Tiu Felipe

Translated by: Loyda de Osorio/AAC Secretary, Antigua