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 very excited to share my information in this opportunity. My name is Jairon Elias Ivan Mendez Castro. My birth date is September 26^th, 2018, I was born in Zacualpa, Quiche, Guatemala. I am 6 years old and I am a healthy boy. I am in kindergarten at school. I like to coloring draws. My favorite color is red and my favorite animal is the cat. My favorite food is black beans with cheese. I have one brother and four sisters. Our pets are a dog and a cat. I attend the Zacualpa feeding program alongside my older sister and I arrive there in 10 minutes by walking.

My father´s name is Basilio Mendez Riz. He works as a farmer and goes to sell veggies; he provides for our family. My mother´s name is Maria Magdalena Castro Gutierrez. She does the housework, raises hens and also sells veggies alongside my father. By the grace of God, my parents are doing well. We live in our own property; my father is the owner and there are 2 adobe rooms with a tin sheet roof and a cement floor. The kitchen is separate. We have running water and electricity services; my parents pay for them. Our essential needs are groceries. We attend Methodist Church. I hope you enjoy reading my letter. May God bless you!

Hugs and kisses,

Jairon Elias Ivan Mendez Castro

Translated by: Violeta Hernandez, AAC Secretary / Antigua