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 Domingo Calachij Ajqui. I was born on September 10^th, 2017, in Zacualpa, Quiche, Guatemala. I am 7 years old and I am doing well. Due to a lack of resources, my family could not register me at school or buy school supplies. That is the reason why I am not attending school.  I spend my time playing toy cars and balls at home. My favorite color is red and my favorite animal is the cat. I like to eat fried chicken. I have three brothers and no sisters. I attend the Zacualpa feeding program and I get there in 30 minutes by walking.

My father is Camilo Calachij Morente. He works both as a farmer and day laborer in our village, but he does not earn very much and it is difficult to supply all our needs. My mother is Juana Ajqui Gutierrez. She is a housewife and raises hens. My parents and siblings are in good health. The house in which we live belongs to my mother. There are 2-rooms. The walls and roof are made of tin sheets with a dirt floor. The kitchen is separated. We do not have running water or electricity. Fortunately, one kind neighbor shares water with us and does not ask for any payment. To get light, we use candles at night. As a family, we are in need of corn, groceries, clothes, footwear and tin sheets to improve our house. We are members of the Pentecostal God´s Church. Thank you for reading my information. Many and abundant blessings over you!

Warm regards,

Domingo Calachij Ajqui

Translated by: Violeta Hernandez, AAC Secretary / Antigua