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 Carlos Abimael Yostin Benito Ajqui, and I am writing this letter with my mother’s help. I am in good health, and I am 4 years old; I was born on June 8, 2021. Mynor Alfonzo Benito Portuguez is my father’s name, and he works as a farmer and day laborer. He also goes to pick coffee beans at the coast from November. Marta Ajqui Gomez is my mother’s name, and she is a housewife. She raises some hens but they are for our consumption. I have 3 sisters, and two of them are registered at the feeding program too. They take me to the program, and our mother goes to bring us home.

I am not attending school yet due to my age. I stay at home playing with my toy cars. My favorite color is red, and I love dogs. I really enjoy eating chicken broth. As a family, we attend Assembly of God Church. 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 have running water but no electricity because we do not have the resources to pay the bill every month; we use flashlights and candles at night. We have hens at home. We are a humble family, and our frequent needs are groceries, clothes and shoes. I am happy to be part of the feeding program, and I walk for 25 minutes to arrive there. I hope you find my letter interesting.

Yours truly

Carlos Abimael Yostin Benito Ajqui

Translated by: Loyda de Osorio, AAC Secretary-Antigua