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 Beley Alejandra Osorio de Leon and I am delighted to introduce myself to you through this letter. I was born on May 23, 2014. I am in third grade, and I love playing with my dolls. As for health, let me tell you that I got pneumonia one year ago. My health situation was hard because I was at the hospital 40 days, and then, my recover process lasted about six months. I am stable now, but my immunological system is weak, so I tend to suffer from pneumonia frequently. When it happens, my mom has to take me to the hospital. My favorite color is purple, I love eating pizza, and my favorite pets are tigers. I live with my mother and siblings. I have one brother and one sister. Sadly, my biological father abandoned our family some months ago. His name is Mario Raul Osorio. My mother’s name is Maria Jose De Leon Barrera. She works hard as a nanny and cleans houses for other people. My family and I attend a Christian Church called El Nazareno. My mom, sisters and I used to live in a rented house. However, my mom could not continue paying for it. Therefore, we moved out to live with my grandmother and her partner.

My grandmother’s name is Maria Margarita Barrera. She is under medical treatment because she is a diabetic woman. She established a relationship with Mr. Jose Ignacio Cojolon Barrera, who works in a hardware store to support my grandmother. They are in charge of taking care of the house we live in now. It has two rooms and a separate kitchen. The walls are made of concrete blocks, the roof is tin sheet, and the floors are dirt. We have electricity and running water. We have two dogs and some chickens at home. Some of our needs are clothes and a new bed. The feeding program is a blessing for my family and me. My sisters and I usually walk 10 minutes from where we live to get there. To end this letter, I want you to know that my mom helped me to give all this information to an AAC secretary. I say goodbye to you now, but I hope to hear from you soon. May God bless you! 

Affectionately,

Beley Alejandra Osorio de Leon

Translated by: Hillary Popol / AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala