My Story

Dueñas, where your child lives, is a small farming village located at the foot of one of Guatemala's active volcanoes, Fuego (Fire). The fertile ground around the village allows for the cultivation of roses and coffee, two of Guatemala's largest exports. Most of the families in this area live in one or two room wooden or adobe houses with tin roofs. Electricity is available to those who can afford it. Running water is available - however, most homes do not have indoor plumbing. Public education is available for those who can afford it and consider education of value. Life in Dueñas is quiet and sometimes difficult.

Hello! I greet you fondly, hoping you are doing well wherever you are. My full name is Gregorio Enrique Velasquez Chuy, and I hope you like my story. I was born on June 1, 2018. Fortunately, I am a healthy 6-year-old boy. My favorite colors are red and orange. I am doing my best at school as a kindergartener. After classes, I like playing soccer and toy cars. My favorite animals are cats and baby chicks. I have two chickens and two cats at home as pets. I want to use this opportunity to open my heart and tell you that I only live with my grandmother, three brothers, and one sister. Sadly, my mom is in prison and will stay there for about five years. This situation has been difficult for my siblings and me, so please pray for us, especially for my mom; her name is Marta Leticia Chuy Cojolon. As for my father, let me tell you that he left our house about three years ago. However, he is in touch with us and comes home to visit us every fifteen days. His name is Dionel Enrique Velasquez Najarro. He does his best to cover our needs and expenses, but it is challenging because he does not have a stable job. His last jobs have been as a security guard and carpenter.

My grandmother is Isidra Cojolon Dondiego. She is a housewife and cares for my siblings and me. She prepares delicious food, but my favorite is Estofado con arroz (Guatemalan chicken or beef stew with rice). We are Catholics and attend mass in the main church of our town. My grandmother is the owner of the house where we live today. There is nobody else living with us. The house is made of concrete block walls, tin sheet roofs, and dirt floors. The house has three rooms, a separate kitchen, electricity and running water. Fortunately, my siblings and I live near the feeding program. We only walk for fifteen minutes to get there. To end this letter, I tell you that my grandmother and I gave all this information to a teacher of the LW evangelism team. See you later!

Kind regards,

Gregorio Enrique Velasquez Chuy

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala