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! My full name is Alida Luzmila Tiu Toj. I am a healthy 6-year-old girl, and I am so happy to share a little about my life with you. I was born on October 23, 2018. I am in kindergarten. My favorite pastime is playing with my dolls. I love having cheese for my meals. My favorite color is pink and my favorite animals are cats. Fortunately, I have a lovely and healthy family. I live with my parents and siblings. I have two sisters and one brother. My father’s name is Santos Domingo Tiu Tum. He works hard as a farmer in our village. My mother’s name is Alida Toj Gonzalez. She also works by selling fruits at the market on Thursdays and Sundays to contribute to the expenses. Our priority is food. I want to use this opportunity and ask you to pray for my family and our well-being. We do not attend any church at the moment. The house where we live is ours. It is made of adobe, a tin sheet roof, and a concrete floor. It has two rooms, an improvised kitchen in the hallway, electricity, and running water. I am glad to attend because I enjoy delicious food for free at the feeding program. I live about 25 minutes away from it. Therefore, we usually walk to get there. This is all for now, but I hope you found my information engaging.  

With love, 

Alida Luzmila Tiu Toj 

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala