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 Raquel Chingo Gomez. I was born on May 6, 2015. I am six years old and I am a healthy girl. I attend the Cuatro Caminos feeding program. I have two brothers and two sisters. I am not attending school yet due to my age. I enjoy playing toy dishes and dolls. My favorite color is red and my favorite animal is the rabbit. I really like to eat chicken soup. I live with my mother and with my siblings. My father´s name is Ramiro Tul Poou, but unfortunately, he abandoned us when my mother was pregnant and does not have communication with us. He did not legally recognize me, and he does not help my family since I was born. 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. 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, so we use candles. We do not have running water, so we carry it from the river. My siblings and I walk about twenty minutes to attend the feeding program.

Blessings and much love,

Raquel Chingo Gomez

Translated by: Esther Hernández, AAC Secretary/Antigua