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. 

My full name is Cristina Chingo Chingo, and I fondly greet you. I was born on March 19, 2016. Fortunately, I am a healthy 9-year-old girl. I am in first grade. My favorite color is blue. I have a lot of fun playing soccer with my friends. My favorite food is fried chicken, and I love dogs. Now, let me tell you about my family. My father’s name is Alberto Gonzalez. He is healthy and works hard in a plant nursery to cover our needs. Our priority is food, especially corn. Unfortunately, he could not recognize me legally because he lost his ID when I was born. Therefore, I only have my mother’s last name. My mother is dedicated to taking care of our family. Her name is Maricela Chingo Chingo. She was born with crossed eyes and has had trouble hearing well since she was a child. 

As for siblings, I only have one brother. We do not attend any church, but my father does. We live in a rented house, which costs Q800=$116.67 monthly. In addition, my father pays Q150=$20 monthly for the running water service. The walls and roof are made of concrete block, and the floor is concrete. It has one room and a separate kitchen. We do not have electricity at home, so we use candles and flashlights at night. I am glad to be part of the feeding program. I only walk 10 minutes from my house to get there. This is all for now, but I hope you found my information engaging. See you later! 

Lots of love,  

Cristina Chingo Chingo 

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala