My Story

Zacualpa is a small but busy village in a mountain valley. The village is inhabited by both Quiché Indians 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! I am so excited to share my information through this. I am Edwin Cristian de Leon Garcia. I was born on February 12^th, 2021, in Joyabaj, Quiche, Guatemala. I am already 4 years old and I am a healthy boy. I attend pre-kindergarten at school. My hobby is to ride a bicycle. My favorite color is yellow and my favorite animal are chicks. I love to eat chicken. I have one brother and one sister. I attend the Zacualpa feeding program, and I get there in 25 minutes by tuk-tuk; my mother goes with me.

My father is Jorge de Leon Toj. He works both as a farmer and day laborer to provide for our needs. My mother is Cecilia Garcia Chavez de Leon. She is a housewife, weaves typical items and raises hens to sell to get income. Thanks to God, my mother is doing well, but my father is feeling bad. He visited the doctor and took medicine. Fortunately, we live in our own property; there is 1 adobe room with a tin sheet roof and a dirt floor. The kitchen is separate. We have running water and electricity services, which my father pays for. Our greatest needs are groceries, corn and clothes. We attend Prince of Peace Church. Thank you for taking time to read my letter. Every kind of blessing over you!

Bunch of hugs,

Edwin Cristian de Leon Garcia

Translated by: Violeta Hernandez, AAC Secretary / Antigua