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 Agustina Yacel de la Cruz Calachij, and I want to introduce myself. I am 5 years old, and I was born on February 6, 2020. I am in good health, and I am not attending school yet due to my age. I enjoy playing with my dolls at home. My favorite color is pink, and I like cats. I enjoy eating fried chicken and beef patties. I only have one brother. I live near the feeding program, and I just walk for 5 minutes to arrive there. We are a humble family, and our frequent needs are groceries. I would like to ask for your prayers for my mom because she suffers from gastritis. She has not visited a doctor due to our low resources, and she is only taking natural medicine.

My father’s name is Rigoberto Estuardo de la Cruz Calachij, and he works as a mason helper to cover our needs. My mother’s name is Mayti Marlena Calachij Garcia, and she is a housewife; she raises hens and sells them when we need money. As a family, we attend Assembly of God Church. We live in my paternal grandparents’ house, and it is made of adobe with a tile roof and concrete floor; it has one room and a kitchen. We have running water and electricity services. We have hens at home. I thank you for reading my letter. May God bless you!

Kisses and hugs

Agustina Yacel de la Cruz Calachij

Translated by: Loyda de Osorio, AAC Secretary-Antigua