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 name is Evanllely Jazmin Simaj Morente, and I am glad to share my information with you. I was born on June 19, 2020. I am a healthy 5-year-old girl. I still do not attend school, so I stay home. My favorite pastime is playing with my dolls. I love having scrambled eggs for my meals, especially when my mother includes sausages. My favorite color is pink and my favorite animals are cats. Now, let me tell you about my family. I only have two brothers. My father’s name is Hector Simaj Garcia. He is healthy and works as a farmer in our village. My mother’s name is Irma Morente Garcia. She is a housewife and washes clothes for other people once a week to contribute to the household chores. Please pray for her health. She suffers from health problems, but she has not gone to the doctor because of a lack of money.  

We attend a Christian Church called Full Gospel. The house where we live belongs to my father. It is made of tin sheets and the floor is dirt. It has one room, a separate kitchen, an artisanal well to get water, and a solar panel. We long to improve our house, but we do not have enough resources to do it. Therefore, I beg you to include this in your prayers. We have some domestic animals at home. They are cows, dogs, and cats. The feeding program is about 30 minutes away from where I live. So, we usually take a taxi to get there. It is time to say goodbye, but I hope you found my information engaging. Until next time! 

Kisses and hugs,  

Evanllely Jazmin Simaj Morente 

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala