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! My name is Andrea Cux Gutierrez. I am 4 years old; I was born on February 17, 2019, and I am not attending school yet due to my age. Fortunately, I am in good health condition; I like the color red, my favorite animal is the hen, and what I enjoy eating the most is hen broth. At home, I enjoy playing with my dolls and toy cars with my two sisters. My parents are Lorenzo Cux Luis and Francisca Gutierrez Ajqui. My father struggles to cover our needs by working as a day laborer, he also travels to the coast once a year to pick coffee beans. It is difficult for my father to work since he has some health problems. He used to carry heavy items at the coast, and he injured his right ankle three years ago. He never went to the doctor or took medicine, so now it is difficult for him to work. My mother contributes to our home expenses by weaving typical shawls to sell.

The house where we live belongs to my paternal grandmother; my grandfather and uncles also live there. It is made of adobe walls, with a tile roof and dirt floor, it has two rooms. We sleep together; besides that, we have another room made all of wooden boards where we cook. We have electricity, and my grandparents pay for this service every month. We get the water from a spring with a hose. We have some domestic animals at home, and we are in need of groceries and corn. We are not attending any church yet. I feel so happy that I was registered at the feeding program, and I want you to know that my mother came to give all my personal information for my enrollment process. I walk 45 minutes to arrive at the feeding program, and I hope you find my letter interesting.  I say goodbye to you for now, and I hope to hear from you soon.

Many Blessings,

Andrea Cux Gutierrez

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