My Story

Zacualpa is a small but busy village in a mountain valley. The village is inhabited by both Quiche Mayans and Ladinos (those with mixed European ancestry). The prevalent language is Spanish. Families in this village live in one or two room homes generally constructed of either wood or adobe. Although many of the people are farmers, the village contains several small specialized stores, a body repair shop for buses, mechanics, plumbers and many other small-town tradesmen. It also has a large open-air market which serves much of the area. Even with all of this, the poverty level is very high and the children are very needy.

Many greetings from the beautiful mountains in Quiche! My name is Franklin Tomas Tzoc, and I am excited to share a little about my life. I am a healthy boy and I love playing toy cars. I was born on September 15, 2021. I am in preschool and my favorite animals are dogs. I like the color blue and I enjoy having rice for my meals. I live with my mother and siblings. I have one brother and two sisters. My mother’s name is Tomasa Narcisa Tzoc Canil de Suy. She is a single mother and makes a living by tending a convenience store to supply the needs for my siblings and me. We are a humble family and most of are needs are groceries.

About my biological father, I have no information. Unfortunately, he abandoned us before I was born. Therefore, I only have my mother’s last name. My family and I attend the Catholic Church. We live in a rented house. My mother pays Q500=$65.25 monthly, which does not include the payment for the electricity and running water services. It has one room and a kitchen made of concrete block with a metal tin sheet roof and concrete floor. We do not have dogs or cats at home, but we raise some chicks. The feeding program is about 15 minutes from where I live. To get there, my siblings and I walk. This is all for now, but I hope you enjoyed reading my information.

Huge hugs,

Franklin Tomas Tzoc

Translated by: Hillary Popol, A-A-C Secretary / Guatemala