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 name is Dany Dominguez Benito Chingo and it is a blessing to share my story with you. I was born on September 24, 2013. I attend school as a second grader for a second time. I like playing soccer and my favorite pets are cats. My favorite color is white, and I love eating fried chicken. As for health, let me tell you that I have suffered from headaches because I fell down some stairs about two years ago. At the moment, my parents have not taken me to the doctor. IIn my family’s case, there is nobody sick. I live with my biological parents and siblings. I have one brother and one sister. My father’s name is Domingo Benito Riz. He makes a living as a farmer and sometimes assists masons to get extra income to support our family. My mother’s name is Hilaria Chingo de la Cruz. She does a fantastic job as a housewife and weaves typical blankets to help my dad with her income.

My family and I attend Full Gospel Church. We live in a rented house. My father pays Q500=$63.84 per month. It has two rooms and a separate kitchen. The walls are made of bricks and concrete with a tin sheet roof and ceramic floors. We have electricity and running water. My father also pays for those services monthly. We have some hens and chickens at home. We are a needy family and some of our greatest needs are groceries and a closet. My siblings and I enjoy attending the feeding program. We usually walk 10 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. I say goodbye to you now, but I wish a lot of happiness and success for your loved ones and you. See you later!

In the name of Jesus,

Dany Dominguez Benito Chingo

Translated by: Hillary Popol / AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala