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.

It such a blessing to greet you through this letter. My full name is Ever Gusman Luis Luis and I am so happy to share my story with you. I was born on May 7, 2020. Luckily, I am in good health and my favorite hobby is playing soccer. I am in prekinder and what I love the most is having fried chickens for my meals. I live with my parents and two siblings; I have one brother and one sister. We do not attend any church at the moment. My father had a gallbladder surgery about six years ago. He also had an appendix surgery about two years ago. His name is Juan Carlos Luis de la Cruz. He makes a living as a day laborer in our village to support our needs. Some of them are groceries, clothes, and shoes.

On the other hand, my mother keeps busy as a housewife. Her name is Estela Luis Garcia. Thankfully, my whole family is doing well. We live in a rented house, which belongs to my paternal grandmother. My father pays her Q100=$13.12 for rent monthly. The house is made of adobe with a tin sheet roof and concrete floor. It has only one room, so we prepare our meals in an improvised kitchen built outside. Fortunately, we have electricity and running water at home. The feeding program is about 30 minutes away from where I live. My mother accompanies me and we usually take a bus to get there faster. Before saying goodbye, I want you to know that I like cats and my favorite color is blue. I wonder, what are your interests?

Bouch of hugs,

Ever Gusman Luis Luis

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Guatemala