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! This is Alexander Benito Calachij, and I want to share a little about my life with you. I hope you find my information engaging. I was born on July 21, 2018. I am a healthy 7-year-old boy. I still do not attend school, but I hope it will be possible next year. My favorite pastime is playing soccer. I like the color blue. My favorite food is fried chicken. Domestic animals are cute, but my favorite one is the rabbit. I live with my mother and grandmother. I am an only child. My mother’s name is Marcela Benito Calachij. She is a single parent and makes a living by selling vegetables at the market. While she works, my grandmother takes care of me. Her name is Gregoria Calachij. She is the owner of the house where we live. It is made of adobe with a tin sheet roof and a dirt floor. It only has one room, so we set up an improvised kitchen in the hallway. Luckily, we have electricity and running water at home. We raise a few chickens for our consumption. The feeding program is about 15 minutes from where I live. So, I usually pay for a motorcycle taxi to get there. It is time to say goodbye, but I kindly ask you to pray for my family and our needs. Some of our priorities are clothes and food. See you later! 

Sincerely yours,  

Alexander Benito Calachij 

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala