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 Anderson Alexander Quexel Shoc and before anything else, thank you so much for taking the time to read my letter. I hope this finds you doing well. I was born on October 20, 2015. Fortunately, I am in good health and attend school as a first grader. I like playing soccer, and my favorite color is red. I love eating grilled meat and my favorite animals are lions. I only have one brother but no sisters. My father is the one who covers all the expenses and needs at home. His name is Wiliam Alexander Quexel Rodriguez. He makes a living as a mason. On the other hand, my mother does a fantastic job as a housewife. Her name is Brenda Leticia Shoc Lara. 

My family and I do not attend church at the moment. Besides my parents and brother, I live with my great-grandparents, one of my aunts, and my grandmother. The house belongs to my grandmother and it has three rooms. My family and I only use one room and share the kitchen with the rest of our extended family. We would love to have another room to live comfortably. The walls and roofs are made of tin sheets and the floors are concrete. We have electricity thanks to a relative who lives close to us. She is another of my aunts. She provides us with that service and my dad pays her monthly. We also have running water at home, so everybody shares the payment of the bill. Some of our needs are clothes, shoes, and food. I love having delicious lunches at the feeding program. Thankfully, I only walk for two minutes from where I live to get there. To end this letter, let me tell you that my mom helped me to give all this information to an AAC secretary. I will leave you now, but I hope you have a blessed day!

With much love,

Anderson Alexander Quexel Shoc

Translated by: Hillary Popol / AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala