My Story

Chixocol, where your child lives, is a very small village nestled in a mountain valley in the state of Quiché, Guatemala. Life in this state is very difficult. Most families live in one-room adobe houses with dirt floors and a small, attached kitchen. The extremely poor live in houses made of corn stalks. In the past few years electricity and water have become available to most people in the area - however, indoor plumbing is very rare. Most of the families are farmers or shepherds and live off the fruits of their labors. Public education is available for those who can afford it and consider it of value.  Life in Quiché is always a challenge.

Hello! My name is Rocio Stephanie Gutierrez Sicajau. I am a healthy child who was born on December 10, 2014. Currently, I am 8 years old, and I am in 2^nd grade. I stay at home playing and drawing in my free time. I love the color purple, and I like dogs. My favorite food is pizza. I only have one sister, and she is registered at the feeding program too. My family and I are attending the Catholic Church. My mother’s name is Maria Magdalena Sicajau Bernal, and she works in a drugstore; an aunt takes care of us while she is working. My father’s name is Juan Leopoldo Gutierrez Chingo, and he separated from my mom seven years ago. He has a grocery store and supports us financially; we have communication with him.

We live in a house that belongs to my maternal grandmother. The house has five rooms and a separate kitchen, and it is made of concrete block and adobe with a tin sheet/tile roof and concrete floor. Thankfully, we have running water and electricity. We have dogs and hens as domestic animals. Our frequent needs are groceries. I walk for 30 minutes to arrive at the feeding program; I sometimes take a moto-taxi to get there. My mom helped me to give this information to an Evangelism teacher. I thank you for reading my little letter, and I hope you find it interesting.

With much love

Rocio Stephanie Gutierrez Sicajau

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