My Story

Jocotenango, where your child lives, is in the state of Sacatepéquez, Guatemala and is a suburb of Antigua. It is an urban environment and is inhabited by both Quiché Mayans and Ladinos (those with mixed European ancestry). Most of the children attend school, but financial hardship affects many families and forces most of the children to leave after the sixth grade. Only one out of ten children finish high school. Children in this area face temptations from gangs and drugs.

Hello! My name is Julio Alberto Ricardo Ruiz Quinonez, and I was born on August 28, 2018. Currently, I am 5 years old, and I am in pre-kinder. I am in good health, and I enjoy playing soccer and with my toy cars in my free time. My favorite food is noodles with meat. I love the color blue, and the animal I like the most is the cat. We are a Catholic family, and we attend the mass on Sundays. I only have one brother, and he is registered at the feeding program too. My father’s name is Juan Enrique Ruiz Hernandez, but he does not live with us because he established a new family. He works as an Uber driver, but he only occasionally helps us with a little money. My mother’s name is Rosela Marivel Quinonez Najera, and she works as a cook in a party rental company.

We live in a house that belongs to my maternal grandfather, and we share it with one uncle and his family. The house has three rooms and a separate kitchen, and it is made of tin sheets with a dirt and concrete floor. We have running water but no electricity; my uncle provides the electricity services and we pay him for it. We have two dogs and one cat as pets. I walk for 10 minutes to arrive at the feeding program. I tell you that my mom helped me to give this personal information to a LW Evangelism teacher. I am happy to be part of the Ministry. I hope you find my letter interesting.

In Jesus name

Julio Alberto Ricardo Ruiz Quinonez

Translated by: Loyda de Osorio/A-A-C Secretary, Antigua Guatemala