My Story

Cuatro Caminos "four roads", where your child lives, is an area located high on the side of a mountain in the state of Quiché, Guatemala. Life in this area is very difficult and very isolated from the outside world. It is a two-hour walk to the nearest market town of Zacualpa. Cuatro Caminos is a farming area where corn and black beans, the staple elements in their diet, are the major crops. The Quiché Mayans who inhabit this area trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization. They normally speak a Mayan dialect called Quiché - however, Spanish is becoming more common. Very little money ever changes hands in this area as they live on a barter system.

Hello! My name is Cesar Marvin Toj Garcia. I am 8 years old, and I was born on February 12, 2015. I am in good health, and I am in 1^st grade this year. My favorite color is red, I love rabbits and I enjoy eating grilled meat. I like to play ball in my free time. I live with my parents and my six siblings; I have three brothers and three sisters. My father’s name is Santos Toj Riz, and he struggles to cover our family needs by working as a farmer and traveling to the coast to pick coffee beans for three months; he goes there twice a year. We go with him at the end of the year to help him and earn extra money. My mother’s name is Lidia Garcia Barrera, and she takes care of us, does the chores, and also helps my father to improve our income by raising domestic animals like hens and goats. We practice the Mayan religion; our needs are groceries and clothes.

We live in our own house which is made of adobe walls, tin sheet roof and dirt floor; we have two rooms, and another room made all of tin sheets where we cook. We have electricity. My father pays the bill every month, but we do not have running water, so we get it from the river through a hose.  I walk 30 minutes to arrive at the feeding program; I am so glad to be part of it, and my mother came to register me. I say goodbye to you with much love and affection, and I will be glad to hear from you soon.

Sincerely Yours,

Cesar Marvin Toj Garcia

Translated by: Luisa Reyes /A-A-C Secretary/ Guatemala