Cuatro Caminos "four roads", where your child lives, is an area located high on the side of a mountain in the state of Quiché, Guatemala. Life in this area is very difficult and very isolated from the outside world. It is a two hour walk to the nearest market town of Zacualpa. Cuatro Caminos is a farming area where corn and black beans, the staple elements in their diet, are the major crops. The Quiche Mayans who inhabit this area trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization. They normally speak a Mayan dialect called Quiché - however, Spanish is becoming more common. Very little money ever changes hands in this area as they live on a barter system. 

Hello! It is a great pleasure for me to greet you through this means. I am Bayron Anibal Ruiz Garcia. I am happy because I have been registered at the feeding program. I walk for about 15 minutes to arrive at the program. I want to tell you a little about my family and me. I was born on February 11, 2016, so I am already 9 years old. I am in third grade this year, and in my free time, I play soccer. My favorite color is blue, and I like rabbits. A delicious dish for me is the fried chicken. I am in good health and so is my family. At the moment, we are not attending a church. We are a humble family, and our frequent needs are corn and groceries.  

My father’s name is Camilo Ruiz Garcia. Sadly, he abandoned us about 7 years ago, and I do not have any information about him. My mother’s name is Petrona Garcia Toj, and she raises some domestic animals for selling. Two of my oldest brothers work as farmers and go to work in the coffee plantation at the coast in order to help our mom with the income. I have five brothers and one sister, and two of them are also registered at the program. We live in our own house which is made of adobe with a tin sheet roof and dirt floor; it has two rooms and a kitchen. We have running water and electricity services. We have hens, a pig, a dog and a cat. Well, I finish this letter and I hope you find it interesting. I thank you in advance for reading my information. May God bless you! 

With much love 

Bayron Anibal Ruiz Garcia 

Translated by: Loyda de Osorio, AAC Secretary-Antigua