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! I am Candy Marleny Ruiz Ajqui, and I am writing this letter to tell you about my family and me; my mother helped me with it. I am 6 years old, and I was born on March 5, 2019. I am in good health, and I do not attend school yet. I enjoy playing dolls at home. My favorite color is pink, and I like dogs. I enjoy eating black beans with rice. I have three sisters, and one of them is registered at the feeding program too. My mom accompanies us to the program, and we usually walk for 20 minutes to arrive there. We are a humble family, and our frequent needs are groceries and clothes.

My father’s name is Isaias Ruiz Gutierrez, and he works as a farmer or day laborer to cover our needs. My mother’s name is Maria Ajqui Coj, and she is a housewife; she raises some domestic animals for selling when we need money. My family is in good health. At the moment, we are not attending a church. We live with my maternal grandparents and other relatives in a house that belongs to an uncle. It has two rooms and a kitchen, and it is made of concrete block with a tin sheet roof and concrete floor. We have running water service, and a neighbor provides us with the electricity service; my dad pays him for it every month. We have hens and pigs at home. I say goodbye to you for now hoping you like my letter.

Yours truly

Candy Marleny Ruiz Ajqui

Translated by: Loyda de Osorio, AAC Secretary-Antigua