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! My name is Manuel Alexander Portuguez De La Cruz. I was born on November 29^th, 2020, in Zacualpa, Quiche, Guatemala. I am 4 years old and I am in good health. I am not attending school due to my young age. I like to play with my toy cars. My favorite color is blue and my favorite animal is the cat. My favorite meal is eggs with beans. I have one brother and one sister. I attend the Zacualpa feeding program and I get there in 30 minutes by walking. My father and mother take turns accompanying us to the program.

My father is Eulalio Portuguez Riz. He works as a farmer with our neighbors to provide for our needs. My mother is Irma De La Cruz Barrera. She stays busy with the housework and raises hens. My parents and siblings are healthy. My father owns the property in which we live. There is 1 adobe room with a tile roof and a cement floor. The kitchen is separate from the house. There are running water and electricity services; my father pays for them. Our greatest needs are corn and groceries. My family and I attend Catholic Church. Thank you for reading my information. Every kind of blessing over you!

Hugs and kisses,

Manuel Alexander Portuguez De La Cruz

Translated by: Violeta Hernandez, AAC Secretary / Antigua