My Story

Cuatro Caminos "four roads", where your child lives, is an area located high on the side of a mountain in the state of Quiché, Guatemala.  Life in this area is very difficult and very isolated from the outside world.  It is a two hour walk to the nearest market town of Zacualpa.  Cuatro Caminos is a farming area where corn and black beans, the staple elements in their diet, are the major crops.  The Quiché Indians who inhabit this area trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization.  They normally speak an Indian dialect called Quiché - however, Spanish is becoming more common.  Very little money ever changes hands in this area as they live on a barter system.

Hello! I greet you in the name of Jesus, hoping you are doing alright wherever you are. I am so happy to introduce myself to you for the first time. I am Juan Calachij Morente, and my parents are Camilo Calachij Barrera and Maria Morente Morente. They are both healthy. My father sustains us as a farmer and day laborer. My mother is a housewife and raises chickens for selling to help with the income. Besides that, my whole family travels to the coast from November to February for the coffee harvest.

I was born in Zacualpa Quiche on December 14, 2021. I am a healthy 4-year-old boy. I have not enrolled at school since I am still young. I like dogs and the color green. I stay at home and spend my time playing soccer and with toy cars. My favorite dish is fried chicken. I have 5 brothers and 4 sisters. Most of them are enrolled in the feeding program. We all walk together for 20 minutes to get the program.

As a family, we attend the Catholic Church. We live in our own humble house made of adobe, tin sheet roof and cemented floor. There is only one room and a separate kitchen. We do not have electricity or running water. We use a hose to get the water from a nearby river. Besides that, we use flashlights at night. There are some domestic animals at home such as chickens, pigs and goats. Groceries, clothes and shoes are some of our main needs. Thank you so much for reading this about my family and me. I will always keep you in my prayers.

With love,

Juan Calachij Morente

Translated by: Mireya de Sandoval, AAC Secretary / Antigua