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 in this opportunity. This is Emerson Danilo Ajqui Garcia. I was born on April 6^th, 2021, in Joyabaj, Quiche, Guatemala. I already turned 4 years old and I am a healthy boy. Because of my young age, I do not attend school yet. For now, I enjoy playing with my toy cars at home. My favorite color is sky blue and my favorite animal is the rabbit. I love to eat fried chicken. I have one brother and two sisters. I attend the Zacualpa feeding program alongside with my siblings and I walk for one hour to arrive there.

My father´s name is Jorge Ajqui De La Cruz. He makes a living by working as a farmer and day laborer in our village. My mother´s name is Zoila Rosario Garcia Ajqui. She stays busy with the housework. By the grace of God, my parents are in good health. We live in my maternal grandmother´s house and she is living there too. There are 2 adobe rooms with a tin sheet roof and dirt floor. There is no kitchen, so my mother cooks in a small galley. We do not have running water, so we get it from the river with the help of a hose. We have electricity service, and my parents pay for it monthly. Our greatest needs are groceries. We attend Catholic Church. I hope you enjoy reading my letter. Many and abundant blessings over you!

Lots of love,

Emerson Danilo Ajqui Garcia

Translated by: Violeta Hernandez, AAC Secretary / Antigua