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 Keyli Yojana Hernandez Hernandez. I was born on August 15^th, 2015, in Joyabaj, Quiche, Guatemala. I am 9 years old and I am in good health. I am repeating first grade. I like to play football. My favorite color is red and my favorite animal is the dog. I like to eat chicken broth. I have one brother and no sisters. I attend the Zacualpa feeding program and I get there in 5 minutes by moto taxi.

My father is Lorenzo Hernandez Buchan. He works in a tile factory and makes bricks and tiles. My mother is Guadalupe Hernandez Toj. She takes care of the house. We are members of the Prince of Peace Church. My father and brother are doing well. As for my mother, she had surgery because of an ovarian cyst and has been under the doctor’s care after the operation. Now, the doctor found another cyst on the left ovary, and they need to watch it closely. In my case, I have a lack of appetite, and I am grateful that now I have the opportunity to receive medical care in LW´s clinic. We live in a rented house and the monthly payment is Q900.00 = $120.00. There are four rooms and the kitchen is separate. The house is made of blocks, cement roof and ceramic floor. There are running water and electricity services; my parents pay for them. Our family´s needs are groceries, corn, a bed and a wardrobe. Thank you for reading my letter and I hope you find it interesting. Every kind of blessing over you!

Warm hugs,

Keyli Yojana Hernandez Hernandez

Translated by: Violeta Hernandez, AAC Secretary / Antigua