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 happy to share my information through this. My name is Genesis Gabriela Gomez Lares. I was born on September 1^st, 2018, in Joyabaj, Quiche, Guatemala. I am 6 years old and I am healthy. I am in kindergarten this year. I like to play with my toy dishes. My favorite color is blue and my favorite animal is the dog. I like to eat fried chicken. I have only one brother. I attend the Zacualpa feeding program alongside my aunt and I get there in 30 minutes by tuk-tuk.

My father´s name is Esteban Gomez de la Cruz. He earns a living by digging wells in different places. My mother´s name is Maria Lares Gomez. She stays busy with the housework and raises hens and pigs. My father and brother are doing well. As for my mother, she suffers from nervous gastritis and is under medical care. We live in my paternal grandmother´s house, and she lives in the house too. There are 3 adobe rooms with a tile roof and a cement floor. There is no kitchen, so my mother cooks outside. There are running water and electricity services. The water is a yearly payment, and the electricity is a monthly payment. Our greatest needs are groceries, clothes and school supplies. My family and I attend King of the Centuries Church. I hope you enjoy reading my letter. May God bless you wherever you are!

Kisses and hugs,

Genesis Gabriela Gomez Lares

Translated by: Violeta Hernandez, AAC Secretary / Antigua