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 Juan Alexander Barrera Ajqui. I am 6 years old, and I was born on February 13, 2017. I am in pre-kinder this year. I like to play tag and Ring Around the Rosey with my five sisters; three of them are registered at the feeding program like me, and we walk 20 minutes to be there. We enjoy eating the delicious meals we receive here. My favorite animal is the squirrel, I like the color blue, and the meal I like the most is fried chicken. I want you to know that I am in good health despite having a skin disease; I cannot be under the sun for much time because it causes a skin rash on my face and arms. My parents have never taken me to the doctor because we are of low resources, but I trust that God will heal me. Fortunately, the Evangelism teachers suggested that now that I registered at the program, I can go to the clinics to be assessed by LW/AAC Doctor.

Thankfully my parents are in good health. Their names are Ruben Barrera Garcia and Gregoria Ajqui Tzoy. My father earns a living by working both as a farmer and as a day laborer; he also improves our income by traveling to the coast where he picks coffee beans from November to December. My mother is a housewife. She also sometimes raises hens to sell to earn extra money for our needs, but lately she has been having problems with her hens because they get sick; we also have some pigs at home. As a family, we are members of the Catholic Church.

The house where we live belongs to one of our neighbors, and he allows us to live here without paying any rent. It is made of adobe with a tin sheet roof and dirt floor; it has two rooms and a room made of wooden boards where we cook. We have electricity, and my father pays for this service. We get water from a spring.  I feel so blessed to be part of this Ministry and my mother gave all this information for my enrollment process. I say goodbye to you with much love and affection, and I hope to receive news from you soon.

Many blessings,

Juan Alexander Barrer Ajqui

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