My Story

Zacualpa is a small but busy village in a mountain valley. The village is inhabited by both Quiché Indians 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.

Good morning! I am so excited to share my information with you through this. I am Maria Marisol Ajqui Riz, and I am 11 years old. My birthdate is April 23, 2014, and I was born in Zacualpa, Quiche, Guatemala. I live with my parents, one brother and two sisters. I am so happy because God has blessed us with good health. Celso Ajqui is my father, and he makes a living as a construction assistant. Maria Riz Garcia de Ajqui is my mother; she mostly does the household work and watches over my siblings and me.

Let me share a few things about myself. I am in 3^rd grade this year. I spend my free time by playing with my dolls. I love the color red, and the animal I like the most is the cat. My favorite meal is grilled beef. My family and I are attending a Christian Church in our village. Thank God, my parents own the house in which we live. There are two adobe rooms with tin sheets and a cement floor. We do not have running water so we get water from a river. We have electricity service and my father pays for it every month. At home, we raise hens. For now, our greatest needs are groceries. I am so blessed to be part of the feeding program, and I walk for about 45 minutes to arrive there. This is all for now. Many and rich blessings!

With much love,

Maria Marisol Ajqui Riz

Translated by: Violeta Hernandez / A-A-C Secretary-Antigua Guatemala