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! My name is Jose Eduardo Poron Poron, and I was born on May 3, 2012. My current age is 11 years old. This year I attend 5^th grade at school. In my spare time, I go to help my father in the plant nursery. The color I love is blue, and my favorite animal is the cat, in fact, I have one as a pet. The food I enjoy a lot is the “Ceviche” (a seafood cocktail). I live with my parents and two brothers; we all are fairly well. My father’s name is Dionicio Poron Medio. He works by doing different jobs for the municipality in our village; he is supporting the family’s needs. My mother’s name is Maria Isabel Poron Xar. She is a housewife and helps my father by looking after the plant nursery to get extra income.

We attend Prince of Peace Church. We live on our own property, and there are two rooms with a separate kitchen. Those have block walls with a cement roof; one room has ceramic, and the other has a cement floor. We have running water and electricity services; my parents are the ones who pay for the services. In addition, my parents pay the rent for the land where the plant nursery is located and pay Q400.00 = $54 per month. I walk 10 minutes to get to the feeding program. This time the Living Water staff collected this information personally for the record, and my mother, Maria Poron provided it. With much love. May God bless you!

Warm hugs,

Jose Eduardo Poron Poron

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