My Story

Zacualpa is a small but busy village in a mountain valley. The village is inhabited by both Quiché Mayans and Ladinos (those with mixed European ancestry). The prevalent language is Spanish. Families in this village live in one or two room homes generally constructed of either wood or adobe. Although many of the people are farmers, the village contains several small, specialized stores, a body repair shop for buses, mechanics, plumbers and many other small-town tradesmen. It also has a large open-air market which serves much of the area. Even with all of this, the poverty level is very high, and the children are very needy.

Hello! I am so happy to tell you a little about my life through this letter. Before starting, I want you to know that my mother helped me to give all this information to a teacher of LW. My name is Dulce Lucero Perez Cabrera and I was born on July 3, 2012. My favorite hobby is playing with my dolls. I am in fourth grade and my health condition is good. My favorite color is pink. I love doggies, and my favorite dishes are salads. I only have one sister. She is the youngest child at home and her name is Alexa. I live with her, my mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. My mother’s name is Siudelma Esmirna Cabrera Morales. She makes a living as an elementary teacher to support me. While she works, my grannies take care of me. My father’s name is Alan Alexander Perez Valdez. He does not live with me because he has another family. He works as a lawyer and helps us economically.

My family and I do not attend any church at the moment. We live in my grandmother’s house, and it has two rooms and a separate kitchen. The walls are made of concrete blocks with a tin sheet roof and concrete floors. There is running water and electricity at home. I love domestic animals! We have chickens, one dog, and one cat at home. I want to use this opportunity to ask for your prayers for my family and me since we have passed through difficult moments economically. I attend the feeding program in Zacualpa with my sister and I usually walk for 20 minutes from our house to get there. We sometimes take a tuk-tuk to get there faster. I say goodbye to you for now, but I appreciate you taking the time to read my information. May God bless you!

With much love,

Dulce Lucero Perez Cabrera

Translated by: Hillary Popol / AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala