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 Pabla Julissa de la Cruz Ventura. I was born on February 14^th, 2016, in Zacualpa, Quiche, Guatemala. I am now 9 years old and I am a healthy girl. I am in the 3^rd grade at school. I love coloring. My favorite color is blue and my favorite animal is the cat. I like to eat fried chicken. I have two brothers and no sisters. I attend the Zacualpa feeding program and I arrive there in 30 minutes by walking; my parents take me to the program.

My father is Carlos Humberto de la Cruz Calel. He works as a farmer to provide for our needs. My mother is Dominga Ventura Morente. She takes care of the house and goes to sell homemade food in a village called “La Vega” to help my father with the expenses. Additionally, she raises hens and pigs. My parents and siblings are doing well. We live in my grandfather´s house. There are 2-rooms and the kitchen is separated. The house is made of concrete blocks with a tin sheet roof and a cement floor. We have electricity service and my father pays for it. We do not use public running water because we get water from a water well. As a family, our greatest needs are groceries. We are members of the Catholic Church.

Special hugs,

Pabla Julissa de la Cruz Ventura

Translated by: Violeta Hernandez, AAC Secretary / Antigua