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! Warm greetings to your family and you. Let me introduce myself to you. I am Elmer Leodan Calachij Chingo. I was born in Joyabaj Quiche on September 10, 2020. I am healthy. I am 5 years old. I am in pre-kinder at school. My favorite food is fried chicken, and my favorite animals are chickens. In my free time, I enjoy riding a bicycle. I like the color red. I have 3 brothers and 6 sisters. It is a big blessing to be part of the feeding program. I usually walk for 10 minutes alongside my siblings to get there.

We live in my paternal grandmother´s house. Thankfully, we do not pay any rent. It is a humble 3-room house made of adobe, tin sheet roof and cemented floor. There is a separate kitchen. We get the water from a nearby river through a hose. We have electricity service and my family pays for it every month. Some of our domestic animals are chickens and ducks.

About my family, well my parents are Jose Calachij and Luciana Chingo Gutierrez. My father earns a living by selling ice cream on the streets while my mother takes care of us and does the housework. Moreover, she contributes economically by raising chickens to sell. We do not travel to the coast to work. Thank God, my father and siblings are healthy, but I would like you to pray for my mother because she suffers constantly from headaches. She only buys some medicine to relieve the pain when it is necessary. Our main necessities as a family are food and clothes. Sadly, we do not attend any church now, but I hope we can do it soon. I appreciate that you gave me some time to share this. I send you my love and prayers.

Best wishes,

Elmer Leodan Calachij Chingo

Translated by: Mireya de Sandoval, AAC Secretary / Antigua