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.

I fondly greet you, hoping you are doing well. My name is Pedro Jeferson Garcia Grave and I am excited to share my information with you. I was born on October 22, 2016. Thankfully, I am a healthy 8-year-old boy. I am in second grade. My favorite pastime is playing soccer with my brother Jhostin. I have one brother and one sister. I like the color red and I love having hamburgers for my meals. My favorite animal is the leopard. Now, I want you to know a little about my family. My father’s name is Oscar Salvador Garcia Tzoy. He makes a living by buying and reselling a few head of cattle during the dry season. He dedicates his time to growing and selling corn and other legumes during the rainy season. My mother’s name is Maria Grave Barrera de Garcia. She works hard by doing the household chores and taking care of my siblings and me. 

Thankfully, everybody is doing well. We attend the Catholic Church in our village. The house where we live belongs to my grandparents on my father’s side. It is made of concrete blocks with a concrete roof and a granite floor. It has five rooms and a separate kitchen. My grandparents allow us to live in one room. Fortunately, there is electricity and a well to get water. My father helps with the household expenses such as the electricity bill. We raise pigs and chickens for our consumption. We also have a dog and a cat as pets at home. The feeding program is a 30-minute walk from where I live. So, we usually take a tuk-tuk and get there in 10 minutes. I will leave you now, but I send you many greetings from the beautiful and eternal land of spring. See you later!

Sincerely yours,

Pedro Jeferson Garcia Grave

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary/Antigua Guatemala