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.

Hello, I am so excited to share my information through this. My name is Marlon Ivan Castro Ramos. I was born on November 18^th 2020. I will turn 5 years old this year. My father´s name is Hermeldo Castro Xon. He makes a living as a day laborer; he is responsible for our home expenses. My mother´s name is Aura Marina Ramos Sen. She is a housewife and embroiders typical items. She also raises hens to sell. I have only two brothers. Thankfully, I am in good health and so is my family.

I am in pre-school this year. I like to play with my toy cars. I love the color red, and the animal I like the most is the lion. I love eating black beans with rice. We attend Ebenezer Methodist Church. My family and my grandparents share the same house, and my grandparents are the owners. There are three rooms and a separated kitchen. It is an adobe house with a tin sheet roof and a cement floor. We have electricity service and my grandma pays for it monthly. We have running water, and my family pays for it annually. As a family, our greatest needs are groceries. It is a privilege for me to be part of the feeding program; my aunt accompanies me and we go there by moto-taxi in 15 minutes. For now, that is all. Every kind of blessing to you!

Lots of love,

Marlon Ivan Castro Ramos

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