My Story

Chixocol, where your child lives, is a very small village nestled in a mountain valley in the state of Quiché, Guatemala. Life in this state is very difficult and somewhat isolated from the outside world. Most families live in one-room adobe houses with dirt floors and a small attached kitchen. The extremely poor live in houses made of corn stalks. In the past few years electricity and water has become available to most people in the area - however, indoor plumbing is very rare. Most of the families are farmers or shepherds and live off the fruits of their labors. Public education is available for those who can afford it and consider it of value. Life in Quiché is always a challenge.

Hello! I am Lesly Maria Meliza Ruiz de la Cruz and I hope you are receiving many blessings. I am four years old, and I was born on January 21, 2017. I am in good health. I am not attending school because I am still too young. I enjoy playing dolls and toy dishes. I love to eat noodles. My favorite color is orange, and my favorite animal is the dove. I have two sisters. My family and I attend Methodist Church. My father´s name is Antonio Ruiz Jimon, and he works as a day laborer. My mother´s name is Elizabeth de la Cruz Morente, and she is a housewife. She raises hens and turkeys. We have two dogs at home. We live in my paternal grandparents´ house. We have two rooms with a separate kitchen. My house is made of adobe, tin sheet roof and cement floor. We have running water and electricity. My sisters and I walk about twenty minutes to attend the feeding program.

With much love and many blessings,

Lesly Maria Meliza Ruiz de la Cruz

Translated by: Esther Hernández, AAC Secretary/Antigua