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.

Special regards to you! My name is Axel Fernando Matias Brito Raymundo and I want to share my information with you. I was born on January 22, 2017. Fortunately, I am a healthy 8-year-old boy. I am in second grade and my favorite color is red. In my free time, I like playing with a water gun. My favorite food is pizza and I love dogs. Now, let me tell you about my mother. Her name is Rosita Brito Raymundo. She is healthy and makes a living by selling clothes. She is as a single parent since my biological father never recognized me. That is why I only have my mother’s last name. We attend a Christian Church in my village.

We live in a rented house that costs Q500=$64.86 monthly. The house is made of concrete blocks with a tin sheet roof and a ceramic floor. It has two rooms, a separate kitchen, electricity, and running water. My mom also pays for the electricity service monthly. I beg you to pray for my family and our needs, which are many, but the most demanding are groceries and school supplies for me. We live about 20 minutes from the feeding program, so my mom takes me in a minibus to get there on time. The school is close to the program, so I go there after classes. I say goodbye to you now, but I send you huge hugs. Take care of yourself!

With love,

Axel Fernando Matias Brito Raymundo

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala