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 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! I am very happy to share my information through this. My name is Carlos Garcia de la Cruz. My birth date is August 24^th, 2019, and I was born in Zacualpa, Quiche, Guatemala. I am 5 years old and I am healthy. I am attending pre-Kindergarten at school this year. I enjoy playing with my toys at home. My favorite color is blue and the animal I like the most is the hen. I love eating chicken with rice. I live with my mother, stepfather, one brother and three sisters. I am very happy to be part of the feeding program and I arrive there by walking in 10 minutes.

My mother is Maria Isabel de la Cruz Toj. She takes care of the house and raises hens. My father is Carlos Garcia Lopez. Sadly, he abandoned us two years ago and does not support us. Last year my mother got married with Mr. Juan Carlos Argueta Gutierrez; he is my stepfather. He works as a bricklayer and supports us economically. My mother suffers from cysts in her ovaries, and due to a lack of resources, she does not visit a doctor nor is she taking any medicines. At the moment, we do not attend any church. The house in which we live belongs to my maternal grandmother and she lives there too. There are four adobe rooms, the roof is made of tin sheets and it has a cement floor. The kitchen is separated. We have running water and electricity services; my mother helps my grandma to pay for the bills. Our greatest needs are groceries. Thank you for reading my letter. May God bless you wherever you go!

Bunch of hugs,

Carlos Garcia de la Cruz

Translated by: Violeta Hernandez, AAC Secretary / Antigua