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! I am so glad to greet you by this means and share my information with you. My name is Pabla Calachij Morente, and I am in good health. I am 9 years old, and my birthday is on February 5^th. This year, I am repeating 2^nd grade. My favorite color is red. I like pigs and the meal I enjoy eating is chicken broth.  At home, I enjoy helping my mother with the chores. My father’s name is Camilo Calachij Barrera; he earns a living by working as a day laborer in our village, and besides that, he travels to the coast to pick coffee beans for four months to improve our income. My mother’s name is Maria Morente Morente; she is a housewife, and she earns some extra money by weaving typical blouses. I have four brothers and three sisters, and I like to spend time with them.

Thankfully, we have our own one-room house; it is made of adobe with a tin sheet roof and dirt floor. It has a separate kitchen; we do not have running water or electricity, so we use candles and carry water from a river for our use. At home, we have some domestic animals like pigs, sheep, hens and a cow. We are members of the Catholic Church, and our needs are groceries and clothes. I feel so blessed to be part of the feeding program. I walk 20 minutes to be there, and I want you to know that my mother came to give all my personal information for my enrollment. It is time to say goodbye to you. I wish you many blessings and I hope to hear from you soon.

Cordially yours,

Pabla Calachij Morente

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