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 Henry Ottoniel Calachij Obispo and I want to tell you about my life. I was born on June 20, 2018. Fortunately, I am a healthy 6-year-old boy. I am so happy because I am already in first grade. My favorite pastimes are painting, drawing, and playing with my siblings. I have one brother and one sister. I love having rice with chicken for my meals and my favorite color is blue. Dogs are nice animals, so I like them very much. I am so blessed because I have one doggy at home as a pet. Now, I want to tell you about my family. I am glad because everybody is doing well. I have one brother and one sister. My father’s name is Pedro Calachij Jimon. He works in a gas station while my mom stays home and takes care of our family. My mother’s name is Estela Lucrecia Obispo Ajqui. 

Fortunately, we live in our own house. It is made of concrete blocks with a tin sheet roof and a ceramic floor. It only has two rooms, so we use one of them as a kitchen. We have electricity but no running water at home. Luckily, one of my uncles shares the water with us, and my father pays half the bill. I ask you to pray for my family and our needs, especially for food. In advance, thank you so much! We live about 10 minutes from the feeding program. We usually take a minibus to get there on time. I say goodbye to you now, but I hope to hear from you soon.

With love,

Henry Ottoniel Calachij Obispo

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala