My Story

Chixocol, where your child lives, is a very small village nestled in a mountain valley in the state of Quiché, Guatemala. Life in this state is very difficult and somewhat isolated from the outside world. Most families live in one-room adobe houses with dirt floors and a small attached kitchen. The extremely poor live in houses made of corn stalks. In the past few years, electricity and water have become available to most people in the area - however, indoor plumbing is very rare. Most of the families are farmers or shepherds and live off the fruits of their labors. Public education is available for those who can afford it and consider it of value. Life in Quiché is always a challenge.

I am so glad to share my information in this opportunity. My name is Joshua Caleb De La Cruz Hernandez. I was born on June 13^th of 2021, in Joyabaj, Quiche, Guatemala. I am 4 years old. My mother´s name is Angela Magdalena De La Cruz Hernandez. She is a single mother and struggles to supply our home needs. She works in a pharmacy in our village. I have no siblings. We raise hens and cows. Our pet is a cat. My biological father abandoned my mother when she was pregnant with me and refused to take responsibility for us. Therefore, he is not part of my life. By the grace of God, we are in good health.

Due to my young age, I am still not attending school. I usually stay at home and I like to play football. While my mother goes to work, I stay under my maternal aunts’ care. I love the color red, and I like cats. My favorite meals are the ones that contain tomato sauce with spices. We are attending Catholic Church. We live in my maternal grandparents’ house and my uncles are also living there. There are three block rooms with cement roof and a granite floor; there is a kitchen too. There are running water and electricity services; my mother and uncles contribute to pay the bill every month. Our greatest needs are groceries and corn. I am so happy to be registered in the feeding program; I attend alongside my cousins and we walk 10 minutes to arrive. I hope to hear news from you very soon. May God bless you!

Lots of love,

Joshua Caleb De La Cruz Hernandez

Translated by: Violeta Hernandez / A-A-C Secretary-Antigua Guatemala