My Story

Chixocol, where your child lives, is a very small village nestled in a mountain valley in the state of Quiche, Guatemala. Life in this state is very difficult and somewhat isolated from the outside world. Most families live in one-room adobe houses with dirt floors and a small attached kitchen. The extremely poor live in houses made of corn stalks. In the past few years electricity and water have become available to most people in the area - however, indoor plumbing is very rare. Most of the families are farmers or shepherds and live off the fruits of their labors. Public education is available for those who can afford it and consider it of value. Life in Quiche is always a challenge.

Hello! My full name is Marleny Sofia Xan Morente and I feel blessed to tell you a little about my life through this letter. I was born on March 7, 2021. Thankfully, I am a healthy 4-year-old girl. Because of my age, I still do not attend school. I stay home with my mom and play with my toys. I love playing with my dolls and kitchen toys. My favorite color is pink. I like having black beans with rice for my meals. My favorite animals are hens. I live with my mother and siblings. I have three brothers and two sisters. I do not have my father with me because he traveled to the United States about two years ago. His name is Carlos Xan Morales. He washes the dishes at a restaurant three days a week to survive and help us economically. He uses his days off to earn extra money by doing different tasks. About his health, let me tell you that he suffers from gastritis. Fortunately, he is under medical treatment. My mother’s name is Juana Morente Gutierrez. She is a housewife and sometimes sells hens raised at home. She also weaves typical shawls or bed sheets to sell.

I beg you to pray for my family, especially for my mother. Unfortunately, my grandmother, Dominga Chingo, passed away a few months ago. She used to live with us, so her death was a hard blow for my mom. We are Christians and attend a church called Source of Life. We live in a rented house. My grandfather, on my mother’s side, lives with us too. The house is made of adobe, with a tile and tin sheet roof, and a dirt floor. It has two rooms, a separate kitchen and running water. We also have electricity thanks to my uncle, who lives near our house. My parents pay half of the electricity bill. I am glad because we raise some domestic animals at home. They are pigs, chickens, and dogs. We live about 35 minutes from the feeding program. Therefore, we walk 25 minutes from our house to the minibus stop. We usually spend five minutes in the minibus until we reach another bus stop. Once we get off, we walk five minutes more to get to the feeding program. This is all for now, but thank you for reading my information. Take care of yourself!

Love and blessings,

Marleny Sofia Xan Morente

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary/Antigua Guatemala