My Story

Chixocol, where your child lives, is a very small village nestled in a mountain valley in the state of Quiché, Guatemala. Life in this state is very difficult and somewhat isolated from the outside world. Most families live in one-room adobe houses with dirt floors and a small, attached kitchen. The extremely poor live in houses made of corn stalks. In the past few years electricity and water have become available to most people in the area - however, indoor plumbing is very rare. Most of the families are farmers or shepherds and live off the fruits of their labors. Public education is available for those who can afford it and consider it of value. Life in Quiché is always a challenge.

Hello! I am pleased to be able to greet you and tell you about myself today. My name is Daniel Elias Riz Gomez. I was born on November 17, 2020, in Zacualpa, Quiche, Guatemala. I turn 6 years old this year, and I am a healthy boy. I am attending pre-kindergarten. My hobby is playing football. My favorite color is blue, and the animal I like the most is the cat. I love to eat herbs. I have only one brother. My mother is Elena Riz Gomez. She does the household work and raises hens and pigs to sell. Additionally, she washes clothes with our neighbors to get more income. She is a single mother. Unfortunately, my biological father did not want to legally recognize me, and he abandoned us. We have gone through many difficulties when my mom does not have money to cover our expenses. There are days when I have not gone to school because my mom does not have money. Sometimes my grandparents help us with the expenses, but it is only occasionally. My grandpa does not have a formal job.

I am thankful to God because my family and I are in good health. However, I have had a nosebleed, and thank God, now I can attend the LW clinic. My family and I attend a Methodist Church in our village. We are living in my maternal grandfather´s house, and my aunts are living there too. There are two adobe rooms with a tile roof, and a dirt floor. The kitchen is separate. We have running water but no electricity. The water is a yearly payment, and we use candles to see at night. As a family, our greatest needs are groceries, corn, and firewood. The most needed is electricity service at home, so I would like to ask for your prayers that we can get the service very soon. I am so blessed to be enrolled in the feeding program, and I arrive there by car in 20 minutes. I attend alongside a cousin. This is all for now, but feel free to ask for more information about me. I pray our Lord blesses you wherever you go!

A bunch of hugs,

Daniel Elias Riz Gomez

Translated by: Violeta Hernandez, A-A-C Secretary-Antigua