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 name is Hilda Cristina Riz Leon and I am glad to tell you about my life through this letter. I was born on October 24, 2016. Thankfully, I am a healthy 8-year-old girl. I am in second grade and I love playing with my dolls. My favorite color is pink, I like cats very much, and my favorite food is fried chicken. Now, let me tell you about my family. I have two brothers and two sisters. We attend the Catholic Church alongside our parents. My father is Pablo Riz Garcia. He is healthy and makes a living as a day laborer and farmer. I beg you to pray for my father since there are not many job opportunities in our village. He usually works two or three times a week. My mother is Rogelia Leon Cux. She is a housewife and raises chickens and turkeys at home to sell. She uses her income to help my father with the household chores. About her health, let me tell you that she suffers from arthritis. Although she is under medical treatment, she does not take her medicine frequently because we lack the money to buy it. So, I also ask you to pray for her and her health.

Our needs are many, but the most demanding are groceries and clothes. We live in a rented house and fortunately, the rent is low. We pay Q50=$6.68 monthly. The house is made of adobe with a tin sheet roof and a dirt floor. It has three rooms, a separate kitchen, and running water. There is no electricity at home, so we use candles. The feeding program is about a 30-minute walk from where I live. I usually get there alongside my siblings. It is time to say goodbye, but I thank you so much for reading my letter. Until next time!

Many kisses and hugs,

Hilda Cristina Riz Leon

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala