My Story

Dueñas, where your child lives, is a small farming village located at the foot of one of Guatemala's active volcanoes, Fuego (Fire). The fertile ground around the village allows for the cultivation of roses and coffee, two of Guatemala's largest exports. Most of the families in this area live in one or two room wooden or adobe houses with tin roofs. Electricity is available to those who can afford it. Running water is available - however, most homes do not have indoor plumbing. Public education is available for those who can afford it and consider education of value. Life in Dueñas is quiet and sometimes difficult.

Hello! I am Kevin Emilio Sebastian Lopez, and my birth took place on October 30, 2018. I want to tell you that my father named me Salomon Emilio Sebastian Lopez, but my mother did not like it. So, now they are in the process to legally change my name to KEVIN EMILIO SEBASTIAN LOPEZ. In fact, they already call me Kevin Emilio. I am a 5-year-old healthy boy. I am still not attending school, but probably next year I will go. For now, I spend my time by playing tag, hide-and-seek and a game called “monster of the door”. I also like coloring and painting. I love the color yellow, my favorite animal is the duck, and I love eating fried chicken from Pollo Campero and McDonalds hamburgers.

I live with my biological parents; four brothers and two older sisters. My father´s name is Emilio Emanuel Sebastian Miguel, and he is 44 years old. He works by growing and taking care of flowers in a plant nursery to support the family´s needs. My mother´s name is Vitalina Lopez Loarca, and she is 38 years old. She stays busy with the housework and watching over my siblings and me; she also raises chicks. Thank God, we are in good health. We live in a rented house, and the monthly payment is Q600.00 = $80.00. My father is in charge of paying for electricity and running water. The house has four rooms, but we use three of them; those are made of block, tin sheet roof and cement floor. There is no kitchen, and my mother cooks in the corridor. The house belongs to Santigo Sebastian, my father´s brother, and we share the house with my grandparents, Manuel Sebastian and Juana Miguel. My siblings and I attend the feeding program from Living Water, and we walk for 20 minutes. For now, my priorities are shoes for school and workouts. My family and I attend Foursquare Church in our village. My mother Vitalina Lopez provided my personal information to the Living Water staff for my registration. Hoping to receive news from you very soon.

Many blessings!

Hugs and much love,

Kevin Emilio Sebastian Lopez  

Translated by: Violeta Hernandez / A-A-C Secretary-Antigua Guatemala