My Story

Chixocol, where your child lives, is a very small village nestled in a mountain valley in the state of Quiché, Guatemala.  Life in this state is very difficult and somewhat isolated from the outside world.  Most families live in one-room adobe houses with dirt floors and a small attached kitchen.  The extremely poor live in houses made of corn stalks.  In the past few years electricity and water has become available to most people in the area - however, indoor plumbing is very rare.  Most of the families are farmers or shepherds and live off the fruits of their labors.  Public education is available for those who can afford it and consider it of value.  Life in Quiché is always a challenge.

Hello! My name is Mario Antonio Hernandez Gutierrez. I was born on December 17, 2017, and I am now 6 years old. I am a boy with good health. I was born in a Zacualpa, Quiche. I am not attending school this year. My hobby is playing with toy cars. I love the color yellow. The animal I like the most is the horse. My favorite foods are fried chicken and grilled chicken. I have four brothers and two sisters; two of them are registered in the feeding program too.

My biological father´s name was Mario Hernandez Gomez. Unfortunately, he died due to alcohol poisoning.  It happened about twenty months ago. Since then, my mother is struggling to sustain us. My mother´s name is Maria Isabel Gutierrez Yat. She struggles to supply our needs; she works by washing clothes for other people and earns Q40.00 = $5.00; it is not much income. For now, she only works on Saturdays because she injured one of her feet and cannot walk long distances. My sister is working as a maid and earns Q700.00 = $94.00 monthly. Thankfully, she helps my mother to supply our needs. We are Christians and attend Liberty Church from LW.

We live in a rented house and the monthly payment is Q200.00 = $27.00. There are two rooms; we use one as a room and the other is the kitchen. The house is made of block with tin sheet roof and a cement floor. There are running water and electricity services and my mother pays for them every month. We are a humble and needy family; we are in need of groceries, corn, clothing, and resources to pay the rent. We pray our almighty God helps us to go ahead. I like to attend the feeding program and I walk 15 minutes to get there. Take care. I pray God blesses you in each area of your life!

Best wishes,

Mario Antonio Hernandez Gutierrez

Translated by: Violeta Hernandez / A-A-C Secretary-Antigua Guatemala