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! My heart is beating with joy to greet you through this letter. My name is Christopher Oswaldo Cuin Velasquez and this is my story. I was born on January 2, 2014. I am glad because I am attending school as a fourth grader. I like playing soccer and my favorite pets are dogs. My favorite color is blue, and I love eating spaghetti. I live with my biological parents. I have one sister but no brothers. My father’s name is Esvin Oswaldo Cuin Gutierrez. He makes a living by teaching at an elementary school to support our family. My mother’s name is Barbara Sucel Velasquez Velasquez. As a housewife, she keeps busy doing the chores and raising her domestic animals. We have hens and one dog at home. As for health, let me tell you that we are doing well. 

My family and I attend the Catholic Church in our village. We live in a house that belongs to my maternal uncle. He allows us to live there for free. It has three rooms and a separate kitchen. The walls are made of bricks with concrete roofs and granite floors. We have electricity and running water at home; my father pays for those services. By God’s grace, we have not lacked anything at home. My sister and I enjoy attending the feeding program. We usually walk five minutes from our house to get to the program. To end this letter, I want you to know that my mom helped me to give all this information to a teacher of LW. Thank you so much for reading my letter! I hope to hear from you someday.

In the name of Jesus,

Christopher Oswaldo Cuin Velasquez

Translated by: Hillary Popol / AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala