My Story

Zacualpa is a small but busy village in a mountain valley. The village is inhabited by both Quiché Mayans and Ladinos (those with mixed European ancestry). The prevalent language is Spanish. Families in this village live in one or two room homes generally constructed of either wood or adobe. Although many of the people are farmers, the village contains several small, specialized stores, a body repair shop for buses, mechanics, plumbers and many other small-town tradesmen. It also has a large open-air market which serves much of the area. Even with all of this, the poverty level is very high, and the children are very needy.

Hello! My name is Fatima Abigail Jimon Quinilla and I am so excited to tell you my story through this letter. I was born on Abril 4, 2017. By God’s grace, I am healthy and attend kindergarten. I have fun playing with my dolls. I sometimes help my mother with the chores. My favorite color is red, and I love cows. My favorite meals are black beans, sausages, and chicken. I live with my biological parents and siblings. I have one sister and one brother. My father’s name is Samuel Jimon Simaj. He is a mason and works hard to support our family. My mother is a hardworking housewife. She dedicates her full time to our family. Her name is Tomasa Quinilla Xirum. Fortunately, my family is in good health too.

We attend a Methodist Christian Church in our village. We live in my paternal grandparents’ house. They also live there. There is one room and a separate kitchen at home. The walls are made of bricks with a tin sheet roof and dirt floors. We have electricity and running water. My grandparents help to pay for those services. My family and I wish to have our own piece of land to build a house. Therefore, I would love to count on your prayers to accomplish our dream someday. My sisters and I walk for 20 minutes from where we live to get to the feeding program. To end this letter, I want to tell you that my mother helped me to give all my information to a teacher of LW. I say goodbye to you now but thank you so much for reading my letter.

Kind regards,

Fatima Abigail Jimon Quinilla

Translated by: Hillary Popol / AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala