My Story

Dueñas, where your child lives, is a small farming village located at the foot of one of Guatemala's active volcanoes, Fuego (Fire). The fertile ground around the village allows for the cultivation of roses and coffee, two of Guatemala's largest exports. Most of the families in this area live in one or two room wooden or adobe houses with tin roofs. Electricity is available to those who can afford it. Running water is available - however, most homes do not have indoor plumbing. Public education is available for those who can afford it and consider education of value. Life in Dueñas is quiet and sometimes difficult.

Hello! My name is Alan Yovani Ordonez Castro and I have the privilege of sharing a little bit of my life with you. I was born on October 27, 2015. I live in Dueñas with my paternal grandmother and my two siblings. Sadly, my biological mother abandoned my family and me some years ago. Her name is Gloria Elizabeth Castro Tun. My father still lives with my siblings and me, but he has had problems with alcohol for about two years and a half. Taking advantage of this moment, I would love to count on your prayers for him. His name is Marvin Yovani Ordonez. Because of my family’s situation, the Government House (PGN) picked my siblings and me up for a short period until my grandma could take us out there. My grandma is a diabetic woman, but despite her health condition, she does her best to support our needs. Her name is Maria Ordonez de Paz. She washes and irons clothes for other people. She earns about Q75=$9.57 in one day for ironing. Fortunately, one of my uncles helps us economically since he lives with us. His name is Dorian Rene Ordonez de Paz. He is still single and makes a living as a mason.

As for me, let me tell you that I suffer from bronco pneumonia. My grandma takes me to the health center in Dueñas to receive my medicines. I am glad because I am in first grade this year. I love eating pizza and black beans with mayonnaise. My favorite hobbies are playing freeze tag and hide-and-seek. My favorite color is sky blue and I love rabbits. Actually, I have one at home as a pet. My family and I occasionally attend a Christian Church. We live in a rented house. It has two rooms, but we can only use one of those. We prepare our meals in the hallway. My uncle pays for that room Q600=$76.56 per month. The house belongs to one of our relatives. The walls and roof of the house are made of tin sheets with concrete floors. We have electricity and running water, thanks to a neighbor. That person charges Q13=$1.66 for running water and Q80=$10.21 for electricity per month. My uncle also pays for those services. Some of our needs are food, clothes, and education. My siblings and I usually walk 20 minutes from our house to get the feeding program. To end this letter, I want you to know that my maternal grandma helped me to give all this information to an AAC secretary. I say goodbye to you now, but if you want to know something else, just let me know. See you later!

Sincerely yours,

Alan Yovani Ordonez Castro

Translated by: Hillary Popol / AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala