Zacualpa is a small but busy village in a mountain valley. The village is inhabited by both Quiche Mayans and Ladinos (those with mixed European ancestry). The prevalent language is Spanish. Families in this village live in one or two room homes generally constructed of either wood or adobe. Although many of the people are farmers, the village contains several small specialized stores, a body repair shop for buses, mechanics, plumbers and many other small town tradesmen. It also has a large open air market which serves much of the area. Even with all of this, the poverty level is very high and the children are very needy. 

Hello! It is a pleasure to greet you through this letter. My full name is Cristina Daniela Elizabeth Ailon Chivalan, and I was born on March 29, 2018. Luckily, I am a healthy 7-year-old boy. I am excited because I am in first grade. I am enjoying my lessons. My favorite pastime is coloring. I love eating noodles for my meals. My favorite color is purple. I am a big fan of ponies. I live with my parents and siblings. I have one brother and one sister. We attend a Christian Church called Emanuel alongside our parents. My father’s name is Juan Daniel Avilon Avilon. He is doing well and works as a public bus driver to cover our needs. Some of our priorities are clothes, food, and school supplies for me.  

My mother’s name is Elida Elizabeth Chivalan Urizar. She works in a tortilleria business and sells homemade food to contribute to the household expenses. Please pray for my mother. She suffers from polycystic ovarian syndrome, but she is not under treatment because of a lack of economic resources.  We live in a rented house, which costs Q850 = $113.33 monthly. It does not include electricity and running water payments. The walls and roof of the house are made of concrete blocks with a concrete floor. It has two rooms and a separate kitchen. The feeding program is a little far from my house. My mother and I usually walk for 20 minutes to get there. I will leave you now, but I hope to hear from you soon.  

Best wishes,  

Cristina Daniela Elizabeth Ailon Chivalan  

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala