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 Yesica Leticia Gabriela Benito Toj, and I am writing this letter with my mother’s help. I am in good health, and I am 7 years old; I was born on March 19, 2018. Gerardo Benito Riz is my father’s name, and he works as a day laborer. He works in our town, but he also goes to work at the coast for two months during the year. Carmelina Toj de la Cruz is my mother’s name, and she is a housewife. She raises hens and pigs for selling in order to help with the income. Thank God, my parents are both in good health. I have two brothers and one sister, and two of them are registered at the feeding program too; they take me to the program.  

I am attending 1^st grade this year. In my free time, I enjoy playing with my dolls. My favorite color is pink, and I love rabbits. I really enjoy eating fried chicken. As a family, we attend Christian Life Church. My family and I live in my paternal grandparents’ house, and it has two rooms and a kitchen; we also share the home expenses. It is made of adobe with a tin sheet roof and dirt floor. We have electricity and get water from a river; we use a hose to bring the water to the house. We have hens and pigs at home. We are a humble family, and our frequent needs are groceries and clothes. I am happy to be part of the feeding program, and I walk for 20 minutes to arrive there. Well, this is all for now.

Sincerely yours

Yesica Leticia Gabriela Benito Toj

Translated by: Loyda de Osorio, AAC Secretary-Antigua