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. 

I am Alexandro Walfredo Simaj Gonzalez, and I am writing this letter with my mother’s help. I am 6 years old, and I was born on June 4, 2019. I am in good health, and I am in kindergarten this year. I enjoy playing soccer in my free time. My favorite color is red, and I like dogs. I enjoy eating black beans with egg. I have two brothers, and one of them attends the feeding program too. My mother accompanies us to the program, and we usually walk for 15 minutes to arrive there. We are a humble family, and our frequent needs are groceries, clothes and shoes.

My father’s name is Pedro Simaj Jimon, and he works as a farmer; he also goes to work on the coast from October to December. My mother’s name is Maria Gonzalez Pixcar, and she sews typical blankets to help with the income; she also raises hens for our consumption. We do not attend a church. We live in my paternal grandparents’ house, and we share it with other relatives. The house has three rooms and a kitchen, and it is made of adobe with a tin sheet roof and dirt floor. We have running water and electricity, and we all pay these bills. We have some hens and pigs at home. Well, this is all for now. May God bless you!

Kisses and hugs

Alexandro Walfredo Simaj Gonzalez

Translated by: Loyda de Osorio, AAC Secretary-Antigua