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. 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 have 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, it is a pleasure to greet you. I was recently enrolled in the feeding program from Chixocol and I am very happy about this. Let me introduce myself. My name is Yonathan Leonardo Ordonez Luis, and I am now 7 years old. I am in 1^st grade this year. In my spare time, I enjoy playing soccer. My favorite color is blue and I like rabbits. The meal that I like the most is fried chicken. I live only with my mother since my father abandoned us. My mother is Rosalina Magdalena Luis Castro. My mother is a housewife. She raises hens and pigs to sell in order to support our family. All members of my family are doing well. My mother also receives a little support from my uncle Jose Victor; he works as a farmer and as a day laborer. We attend the Catholic Church.

My mother, my brother and I live in my maternal uncle´s house. My grandparents also live with us. There are four rooms and a separate kitchen. The house is made of adobe walls, tin sheet roof, cement roof with running water and electricity. These services are paid each month. Our main needs is groceries. We travel about 30 minutes to come to the feeding program. My mother helped me to give my information. I say you good bye for now and hope hear about you soon.

God bless you!

Yonathan Leonardo Ordonez Luis

Translated by: Lucia Gravez/AAC Secretary