My Story

Chixocol, where your child lives, is a very small village nestled in a mountain valley in the state of Quiché, Guatemala. Life in this state is very difficult. Most families live in one-room adobe houses with dirt floors and a small, attached kitchen. The extremely poor live in houses made of corn stalks. In the past few years, electricity and water have become available to most people in the area - however, indoor plumbing is very rare. Most of the families are farmers or shepherds and live off the fruits of their labors. Public education is available for those who can afford it and consider it of value.  Life in Quiché is always a challenge.

I cordially greet you with gratitude for giving me the opportunity to share a little bit of myself through this letter. My name is Cristopher Gadiel Cipriano Grave, and I am now 6 years old. I was born on April 7, 2018. I am a kindergarten student. In my free time, I like to play toy cars. My favorite color is red. I love cats and I like to eat fried chicken. My family consists of 4 people. My father’s name is Edwin Rigoberto Cipriano Mejia. He struggles to support us working as a mason but sometimes he does not have a job. My mother is Marina Grave Toj, and she is a housewife and spends her time taking care of us. She also raises turkeys to sell in order to earn a little money. My family and I attend the Catholic church. We are in good health.

We have our own house. There are two rooms and a separate kitchen made of block walls, tin sheet roof and cement floor. We have electricity which my father pays and we get water from a well.  Our main needs are beds and a closet. I walk about 15 minutes to come to the feeding program. My mother helped me to give my information. I say goodbye until a new opportunity. God bless you!

With much love

Cristopher Gadiel Cipriano Grave

Translated by: Lucia Gravez/AAC Secretary