My Story

Cuatro Caminos "four roads", where your child lives, is an area located high on the side of a mountain in the state of Quiché, Guatemala.  Life is this area is very difficult and very isolated from the outside world.  It is a two hour walk to the nearest market town of Zacualpa.  Cuatro Caminos is a farming area where corn and black beans, the staple elements in their diet, are the major crops.  The Quiché Indians who inhabit this area trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization.  They normally speak an Indian dialect called Quiché - however, Spanish is becoming more common.  Very little money ever changes hands in this area as they live on a barter system.

Hello! My name is Ofelia Lucia Tul Chingo. I was born on January 5, 2011 and I am ten years old. I attend the Cuatro Caminos feeding program. I am in good health. I have two brothers and two sisters. I am in the fourth grade at school and am receiving my classes in the mornings every Monday. I spend my time playing toy dishes and dolls. My favorite color is purple and my favorite animal is the cat. I really like to eat chicken soup. My father´s name is Ramiro Tul Poou. Unfortunately, he abandoned us and does not have communication with us. He does not help us economically since six years ago. My mother´s name is Cruz Chingo Gomez, and she works with our neighbors. She works carrying firewood or shelling the corn, and they pay her Q30.00 quetzals = $4.00 dollars per day. Fortunately, my brother works as a brick layer´s helper and contributes with the home expenses. We have our own house which is made of adobe, tin sheet roof and dirt floor. We have two rooms with a separate kitchen. We do not have electricity, and we do not have running water. We use candles for light, and we carry water from the river. My siblings and I walk about twenty minutes to attend the feeding program. We attend faithfully Methodist Church every Friday.

Many hugs and kisses,

Ofelia Lucia Tul Chingo

Translated by: Esther Hernández, AAC Secretary/Antigua