My Story

Duenas, 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 Duenas is quiet and sometimes difficult.

Hello! My name is Pedro Alejandro Raul Castro Sagastume, and I am glad to share my story with you. Before doing it, I want you to know that my mom helped me to give all this information to an AAC secretary. I was born on November 21, 2017. Fortunately, I am in good health. Because of my age, I do not attend school yet. I have fun playing with my toy cars and I love cats. My favorite color is blue, and my favorite dish is spaghetti. I only have one sister; her name is Ana Castro. I live with my biological parents. My father’s name is Raul Castro Lopez, and he makes a living in the field as a day laborer. My mother’s name is Sindy Mariela Sagastume. While my dad works outside the house, my mom keeps busy doing the chores and watching over my sister and me.

My family and I attend a Christian Church called Jesus Comes Soon. We live in a rented house together with other people. My father pays Q450=$57.41 per month. The house has three rooms, but we only use one. The walls and roof are made of tin sheets with concrete floors. There is no kitchen, so we have to prepare our meals in the hallway and use an improvised firewood stove. Besides the rent payment, my father pays Q25=$3.19 for electricity and Q15=$1.91 for running water per month. Our greatest need is to have a new closet. My sister Ana and I usually walk for 15 minutes to get to the feeding program. I will leave you for now, but I hope you like my information.

Sincerely yours,

Pedro Alejandro Raul Castro Sagastume

Translated by: Hillary Popol /AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala