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 share with you something about my family and me. My name is Geysi Paola Benito Ajqui, and I am in good health. I was born on November 5^th, 2019, so I recently turned 4 years old. I am not attending school yet due to my age, so I stay at home and play with dolls. My favorite color is pink, I like doves, and my favorite meal is fried chicken. About my family, I want you to know that my biological father, Venancio Benito Riz, abandoned us two years ago since he left with another woman. My mother works so hard to cover our needs because we do not receive any economic support from him. My mother’s name is Petrona Ajqui Morente; she is earning a living by working in a tortilla business in a town called Joyabaj; she stays there and comes to visit us once a month to spend time with us and give us money for our needs. I have three brothers; they are also registered at the feeding program; we enjoy attending there, and we walk 25 minutes to arrive there. My maternal grandmother, Maria Morente Bartolo takes care of us while our mother is working. She is a housewife and raises the hens we have at home.

The house where we live belongs to my maternal uncle, Juan Carlos Ajqui. My grandfather and other uncles also live there. It is made of adobe walls with a tin sheet roof and dirt floor. It has two rooms and a separate kitchen; we have electricity, and my uncle pays for this service every month. We do not have running water, so we carry it from a nearby river for our use. We are members of Prince of Peace Church, and we pray for God to help us to go ahead every day since we are in need of groceries, clothes and corn. My grandmother came to register me, and she provided all this information for my enrollment process. I say goodbye to you for now, and I will be waiting to hear from you soon.

In Jesus Name,

Geysi Paola Benito Ajqui

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