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 introduce myself in this opportunity. I am Jonathan Gilmer Garcia Ajqui. I was born on February 24^th, 2017, in Joyabaj, Quiche, Guatemala. I am 8 years old and I am a healthy boy. I am in the 2^nd grade at school this year. My hobby is playing football. My favorite color is blue and my favorite animal is the hen. I like to eat grilled chicken. I have three sisters and no brothers. I attend the Zacualpa feeding program and I arrive there in 15 minutes by tuk-tuk.

My father is Domingo Garcia Chavez. He works as a driver's assistant on buses that go from Zacualpa to Joyabaj. My mother is Isabel Ajqui Ruiz. She takes care of the house and raises hens and pigs. My mother and siblings are doing well. As for my father, he suffers from tuberculosis and is taking medicines against the illness. My father owns the house in which we live; the house is made of adobe with a tin sheet roof and a cement floor. The kitchen is separate. There are running water and electricity services. The water is a yearly payment, and the electricity is a monthly payment. As a family, our essential needs are groceries. We attend Prince of Peace Church. Thank you so much for reading my information. May God bless you!

Bunch of hugs with much love,

Jonathan Gilmer Garcia Ajqui

Translated by: Violeta Hernandez, AAC Secretary / Antigua