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 Guillermo Eduardo Calachij Chingo, and I am writing this letter with my mother’s help. I am in good health, and I am 6 years old; I was born on September 7, 2018. Jose Calachij is my father’s name, and he works as a day laborer. He also sells ice creams outside the feeding programs on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Luciana Chingo Gutierrez is my mother’s name, and she is a housewife. She sells herbs in the market and also raises sheep for selling when they grow up. I have 3 brothers and 6 sisters; four of them are registered at the feeding program too.

I am attending school, and I am in kindergarten this year. In my free time, I like playing soccer and riding a bicycle. My favorite color is green, and I love rabbits. I really enjoy eating fried chicken. My siblings, grandmother and I are the only ones who attend Liberty Church in Pasojoc since my parents do not do it due to lack of time. We live in our own house, and we share it with my paternal grandmother, Santa. Our house has three rooms and a kitchen. It is made of adobe with a tin sheet roof and concrete floor, and it has running water and electricity; we get the water from an artisan well. We have sheep at home. We are a humble family, and our frequent needs are groceries. I am happy to be part of the feeding program, and I walk for 30 minutes to arrive there. Well, this is all for now.

Many blessings

Guillermo Eduardo Calachij Chingo

Translated by: Loyda de Osorio, AAC Secretary-Antigua