My Story

Cuatro Caminos "four roads", where your child lives, is an area located high on the side of a mountain in the state of Quiché, Guatemala. Life in this area is very difficult and very isolated from the outside world. It is a two-hour walk to the nearest market town of Zacualpa. Cuatro Caminos is a farming area where corn and black beans, the staple elements in their diet, are the major crops. The Quiché Mayans who inhabit this area trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization. They normally speak a Mayan dialect called Quiché - however, Spanish is becoming more common. Very little money ever changes hands in this area as they live on a barter system.

Hello! I am Romeo Garcia Gomez; I am 6 years old. I was born on February 27, 2017, and I am in good health. I am in 1^st grade this year, and I enjoy playing ball and toy cars with my brothers. My favorite animal is the giraffe. I like the color blue, and what I enjoy eating the most is fried chicken. I live with my parents, siblings, and maternal grandmother; I have two brothers and two sisters. My father’s name is Sergio Garcia Riz; he earns a living by working as a farmer, a day laborer and also by picking coffee beans at the coast for three months. My mother’s name is Maria Gomez Benito. She is a housewife, but she also contributes with our home expenses by weaving typical blouses and skirts which she sells. My grandmother does not help us economically since she is not able to work due to her age, so my parents cover her needs too.

Thankfully, we live in our own house; its walls are made of adobe with a tin sheet roof and dirt floor. It has one room, and a separate kitchen made of tin sheets. We do not have running water nor electricity, so we use candles, and we carry water with jars from a spring. At home we have hens.  As a family, we are in need of groceries and corn. We also pray that we can have electricity at home, and we trust that God will hear our prayers. We are members of a Methodist Church. My mother came to register me. I am glad to be part of the feeding program and I walk 30 minutes to arrive here. I say goodbye to you with much love and affection. May God bless you, and I hope to hear from you soon.

Kisses and Hugs,

Romeo Garcia Gomez

Translated by: Luisa Reyes /A-A-C Secretary/ Guatemala