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 introduce myself through this! My name is Angel Santiago Jimon Hernandez. I was born on November 1^st of 2017, in Zacualpa, Quiche, Guatemala. I will turn 8 years old this year. My father´s name is Jose Jimon Tebalan. He has been living and working in the United States for about 8 years; he is a day laborer and farms the land. Thankfully, he sends us economic support every two weeks. My mother´s name is Ana Victoria Hernandez Castro. She is a housewife and raises hens, pigs and cows to sell. I have four brothers and one sister. I am so happy because my family and I are in good health.

I am in first grade at school. I enjoy playing with my toy cars and dinosaurs in my free time. I love dinosaurs. My favorite meal is fried chicken. I love the color green. We are attending Catholic Church. Fortunately, my parents own the house in which we live; there are three rooms and a separated kitchen. It is an adobe house with a tin sheet roof and a ceramic floor. We have water, but no electricity. Fortunately, one of our relatives shares electricity with us and my father has to pay monthly. As a family, our greatest needs are corn, clothes and footwear. I am so excited to be registered in the feeding program; I get there in 15 minutes by tuk-tuk and I attend alongside my siblings. I say goodbye to you for now and I hope to hear from you soon. May God bless you!

Warm hugs,

Angel Santiago Jimon Hernandez

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