My Story

Chixocol, where your child lives, is a very small village nestled in a mountain valley in the state of Quiche, 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 labor. Public education is available for those who can afford it and consider it of value.  Life in Quiche is always a challenge.

Special regards to all of you! My full name is Bryan Steven Garcia Garcia, and I am three years old. I am so happy to share a little about my life with you. I was born on January 26, 2022. Because of my young age, I attend nursery school. Fortunately, I am a healthy boy. My favorite pastime is playing with my toy cars. I like the color red. My favorite animals are pigs. I love eating fried chicken. My parents are Efrain Garcia Chingo and Brenda Maribel Garcia Benito. They work hard to support our family. Our priorities are clothes and food. My father is dedicated to taking care of the cattle of our neighbors, while my mother works as a day laborer.

After work, my mother does the household chores and takes care of my sisters and me. I only have two sisters. At the moment, we do not attend any church. My family and I live in a small house, which belongs to my father. It is made of adobe walls with metal roofs and dirt floors. It has two rooms, a separate kitchen, electricity, but no running water. Luckily, one of our aunts lives close and shares the water with us. My parents help her to pay for it annually. I am glad to be part of the feeding program. We usually walk for 30 minutes from our house to get there. I will leave you now, but I send you strong hugs.

Sincerely yours,

Bryan Steven Garcia Garcia

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala