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! I am Leonardo Isael Mauricio Folgar, and it is a blessing to share my story with you. I was born on January 3, 2018. I am 7 years old and attend school as a first grader. Fortunately, I am in good health. I love having chuchitos (typical food) for my meals. My favorite color is blue, and I like dogs. In my free time, I enjoy playing with my friends and helping my father with his chores. His name is Hector Leonardo Mauricio Cabrera. He works as a farmer and day laborer to support our family and cover our needs. Some of them are food and clothes. My mother also works hard as a teacher at an elementary school. Her name is Marli Anabella Folgar Chiquito. I only have one sister, but no brothers. We attend the Catholic Church in our town.  

The house where we live belongs to my father. Its walls and roof are made of concrete blocks with ceramic floors. It has three rooms, a separate kitchen, electricity, and running water. We raise some chickens at home for our consumption. We also have a few dogs as pets. The feeding program is near our house. We only walk for ten minutes to get there. To end this letter, I kindly ask you to pray for my father. He had surgery on his appendix some years ago. Since then, he has had a lot of pain. He occasionally goes to the health center for medicine. Until next time! 

With love,  

Leonardo Isael Mauricio Folgar 

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala