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.

Hello! My full name is Yosiel Anderson Teodoro Quino Pablo and I am so happy to share a little about my life with you. I was born on November 12, 2021. Due to my young age, I still do not attend school. My favorite pastime is playing with toy cars and I love eating fried chicken. I like the colors black and white, and my favorite animals are pigs. About my family, I want to open my heart and tell you that unfortunately, my father passed away about three years ago while he tried to get to the United States. His name was Rigoberto Quino. The ones who support my family financially are my uncles, who make a living by cutting coffee beans at the coast. Their names are Mario Jorge Garcia Quino and Hugo Leonel Garcia Quino. When they come back to our village, they work as farmers.

My mother is a very busy housewife and helps my grandmother to raise pigs. Her name is Margarita Pablo Tum and she is a single parent. I am an only child and I am glad because my whole family and I are in good health. We attend the Catholic Church. My mother and I live with my grandparents at their house, which is made of adobe with tin sheet roof and concrete floors. It has four rooms, a separate kitchen and electricity. We only use one room of the house because my uncles and their families live there too. We get water from a nearby spring. We are a big family and most of our needs are groceries, shoes, and clothes. The feeding program is about fifteen minutes away from where I live. My aunt usually takes me there and we sometimes get there by bus. It is time to say goodbye, but I hope you enjoyed my information.

With much love,

Yosiel Anderson Teodoro Quino Pablo

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Guatemala