My Story

Cuatro Caminos "four roads", where your child lives, is an area located high on the side of a mountain in the state of Quiche, 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 Quiche - however, Spanish is becoming more common. Very little money ever changes hands in this area as they live on a barter system. 

Hello! My name is Marta Alicia Coj de la Cruz, and I want to share with you a little about my life. I am 8 years old, and I was born on February 27, 2017. I am in good health, and I am not attending school. I like playing dolls in my free time, and I love cats. My favorite color is purple, and I enjoy eating fried chicken. I have 2 brothers and 2 sisters, and one of them is registered at the program too. I have to walk for about 40 minutes to arrive at the program. I come from a humble family, and our frequent needs are groceries and clothes. We attend a Pentecostal Church called Prince of Peace.

My father’s name is Jose Coj Gomez, and he works as a farmer and day laborer; currently, he is working from Monday to Friday. My mother’s name is Rubidia de la Cruz Gomez, and she is a housewife; she raises and sells hens to help with the income. My parents are both in good health. We all go to pick coffee beans at the coast from November to February. We live in our own house, and it has one room and a kitchen. It is made of adobe with a tin sheet roof and dirt floor. We use candles at night, and we get the water from a stream which is 5 minutes away from our house; we use a hose to bring to get the water to the home. We raise hens at home. This is all for now.

Yours truly

Marta Alicia Coj de la Cruz

Translated by: Loyda de Osorio, AAC Secretary-Antigua