My Story

Jocotenango, where your child lives, is in the state of Sacatepequez, Guatemala and is a suburb of Antigua. It is an urban environment and is inhabited by both Quiche Mayans and Ladinos (those with mixed European ancestry). Most of the children attend school, but financial hardship affects many families and forces most of the children to leave after the sixth grade. Only one out of ten children finish high school. Children in this area face temptations from gangs and drugs.

Hello! This is Gloria Elizabeth Del Rosario Alquijay Marroquin, and this is part of my history. I was born on October 7, 2014, so I am 11 years old. I am studying, and I am in 5^th grade this year. In my free time, I like drawing. I am in good health, and my favorite food is a typical dish called “pepian”. I love the color purple, and I love rabbits. I have three turtles, three parakeets, two fish and one rabbit as pets. My parents’ names are Hugo Fernando Alquijay Gonzalez and Maria de Los Angeles Marroquin Aguilar. My father works as a traffic police officer and as a seamstress on his own. My mother is a housewife and works very hard at home; she was the one who helped me to write this letter.

As a family, we are attending the Catholic Church. We are living in a rented house, and we share it with two uncles who help with the rent payment; it is Q1,400.00 quetzals (about $187.00) per month. The house has four rooms and a kitchen, and we use one of the rooms. The house is made of concrete block with a concrete roof and floor. It has running water and electricity service. I come from a humble family, and our frequent needs are groceries and school supplies. I feel blessed to be part of the feeding program, and I walk for 15 minutes to arrive there. Well, this is all for now. May God bless you!

Sincerely yours

Gloria Elizabeth Del Rosario Alquijay Marroquin

Translated by: Loyda de Osorio, AAC Secretary/Antigua Guatemala