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 Maynor Alejandro Castro Primero, and I am already 7 years old. I was born on May 6^th, 2016. Due to limited resources, I am not attending school. At the moment, I spend my time playing with toy cars. I love the color purple; my favorite animals are chickens and I love to eat chicken with rice. Thank God, I am in good health and so is my family. I live with my parents, three brothers and three sisters. My father is Juan Castro Lopez, and he makes a living by farming the land on a local farm. My mother is Margarita Primero Rodriguez; she tries to help my father with the home expenses. She picks coffee beans during the harvest, and she also goes to help my father in his job. Fortunately, my older brother is a farmer and works on the farms around our home; he also contributes with the expenses.

We live in a rented house, and the monthly payment is Q500.00 = $66.00; the electricity and running water are included in the rent. The room is made of block, tin sheets and a cement floor. The house has 4 rooms, but we use only one, and there is no kitchen. So, my mother cooks outside, and we have a table where we put the dishes and pots. A cousin lives in the same house with his family, but he covers their expenses. We attend a Christian Church called “Jesus is coming soon”. We are a very humble and needy family, and our primary needs are food, clothes and shoes. Please, support my family with your prayers. My siblings and I walk for about 15 minutes to get to the feeding program. This time the Living Water staff collected this information personally for the record, and my mother, Margarita Primero, provided it. So long. May God bless you wherever you go!

Lots of love,

Maynor Alejandro Castro Primero

Translated by: Violeta Hernandez / A-A-C Secretary-Antigua Guatemala