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! I am Wilmer Tul Chingo and I am eight years old. I was born on March 29, 2013. I attend the Cuatro Caminos feeding program. I am a healthy boy. I have four siblings; two brothers and two sisters. I am studying in the 2^nd grade at school. I receive my classes every Monday. I enjoy playing football and toy cars. My favorite color is red and my favorite animal is the dog. I love to eat fried chicken. My father´s name is Ramiro Tul Poou, but unfortunately, he abandoned us and does not have communication with us. He does not help us to supply our needs since about 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. My family and I attend Methodist Church every Friday. My house is made of adobe, tin sheet roof and dirt floor. 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.

Kind regards,

Wilmer Tul Chingo

Translated by: Esther Hernández, AAC Secretary/Antigua