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 Julia Cux Gutierrez, and I want to share with you a little about my life. I am 4 years old, and I was born on April 8, 2021. I am in good health, and I do not attend school yet due to my age. I stay at home playing with my dolls. My favorite color is pink, and I like rabbits. I enjoy eating noodles. I have two sisters, and one of them is also registered at the feeding program. My mom accompanies us to the program, and we usually walk for 40 minutes to arrive there. We are a humble family, and our frequent needs are groceries and clothes.

My father’s name is Lorenzo Cux Luis, and he works as a day laborer, woodcutter and farmer to support the family. My mother’s name is Francisca Gutierrez Ajqui, and she is a housewife; she also raises hens for selling. My parents are both in good health. We are not members of a church, but we sometimes visit Liberty Church. We live with my paternal grandmother, Andrea Cux, and her house has two rooms and a kitchen. The house has a tin sheet roof and dirt floor; the room walls are adobe and the kitchen walls are wood. We have electricity and running water. We have hens at home. This is all for now, and I hope to hear from you soon.

Kisses and hugs

Julia Cux Gutierrez

Translated by: Loyda de Osorio, AAC Secretary-Antigua