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 Suleyma Leticia Barrera Gutierrez, and I want to share with you a little about my life. I am 6 years old, and I was born on June 14, 2019. I am in good health, and I am not attending school yet. I like playing dolls and toy dishes in my free time, and I love cats. My favorite color is pink, and I enjoy eating black beans with sausage. I have 6 brothers and 2 sisters, and three of them are registered at the program too. I have to walk for about 20 minutes to arrive at the program. I come from a humble family, and our frequent needs are groceries and clothes. We attend the Catholic Church.

My father’s name is Pedro Barrera, and he works as a day laborer; he also goes to pick coffee beans at the coast for six months. My mother’s name is Leticia Gutierrez Jimon, and she is a housewife; she grows some vegetables to sell in the market on Saturdays. My parents are both in good health. We live in our own house, and it has two rooms and a kitchen. It is made of adobe with a tin sheet roof and dirt floor. We have running water and electricity services, and my dad pays these bills. We have sheep, hens, pigs, ducks, cats and dogs at home, and we sell them when we need money. I say goodbye to you for now.

Sincerely yours

Suleyma Leticia Barrera Gutierrez

Translated by: Loyda de Osorio, AAC Secretary-Antigua