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 Abraam Emilio Sebastian Lopez, and I am glad to share a little about my life 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 July 4, 2012. I am in good health, although I usually get flu. I attend school as a fifth grader. My favorite hobbies are playing soccer and running. I love dogs and my favorite color is blue. I love pizzas and hamburgers. I live with my biological parents. I have four sisters and two brothers. My father’s name is Emilio Manuel Sebastian Miguel. He makes a living in a plant nursery by planting and watching over the flowers. My mother’s name is Vitalina Lopez Loarca. She is a hardworking housewife. Fortunately, my family is in good health. 

We attend Foursquare Church. We live in a rented house. The owner of the house is my paternal uncle Santiago Sebastian. He allows us to live there together with my paternal grandparents. My father pays him Q600=$76.54 per month. The house has four rooms, but we only use three. There is no kitchen at home, so my father and grandfather made a modest area with wood and tin sheets on the patio to prepare our meals. The walls are made of blocks with tin sheet roofs and concrete floors. We have electricity and running water. My father pays for those services. We have some chicks at home. My father does his best for our family, but his income is not abundant enough to buy school supplies and tennis shoes for my siblings and me. I usually walk 20 minutes from where I live to get to the feeding program. I say goodbye to you for now, but if you want to know more about my life, do not hesitate to ask me. 

Sincerely yours,

Abraam Emilio Sebastian Lopez

Translated by: Hillary Popol /AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala