My Story

Dueñas, where your child lives, is a small farming village located at the foot of one of Guatemala's active volcanoes, Fuego (Fire). The fertile ground around the village allows for the cultivation of roses and coffee, two of Guatemala's largest exports. Most of the families in this area live in one or two-room wooden or adobe houses with tin roofs. Electricity is available to those who can afford it. Running water is available - however, most homes do not have indoor plumbing. Public education is available for those who can afford it and consider education of value. Life in Dueñas is quiet and sometimes difficult.

Hello! My full name is Erick Gustavo Hernandez Reyes, and it is a pleasure to share a little about my life with you through this letter. I was born on October 1, 2014. I am 10 years old and my favorite pastimes are playing soccer and reading. I also like helping my mom with some household chores like sweeping or washing the dishes. I am in third grade and everything goes well at school. My favorite color is red, I like elephants, and my favorite food is estofado (Guatemalan chicken or beef stew). The people who I live with are my parents and one sister. I am the oldest child in my family. My father is Edwin Rolando Hernandez Marquez. He works as a mason and does his best to supply our family's needs. On the other hand, my mom dedicates her full time to cleaning our house, preparing delicious food, and looking after my young sister and me. Her name is Iris Guadalupe Reyes Ojot. 

We are Catholics and attend mass at the main church in our town. We live with my paternal grandparents in their house. Their property has two rooms, a separate kitchen, electricity, and running water. My father covers half of the electricity and running bills. We only use one room at the house to sleep and prepare our meals. The house is made of concrete block walls with tin sheet roofs and concrete floors. We are a humble family, and some of our greatest needs are food, shoes, and clothes. As for pets, let me tell you that we have one lovely dog at home. I want you to know that I am excited about being part of the feeding program. I live a twenty-minute walk from the project. To end this letter, I want you to know that my mom helped me to write this letter to you. See you later!

Kind regards,

Erick Gustavo Hernandez Reyes

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala