My Story

Chixocol, where your child lives, is a very small village nestled in a mountain valley in the state of Quiche, Guatemala. Life in this state is very difficult and somewhat isolated from the outside world. 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 Quiche is always a challenge

I am excited to say hello to you through this letter. My name is Neysi Dayana Guadalupe Tino Gonzalez. I am 9 years old. I was born on January 10^th, 2015. At school, I am in third grade. I like the color pink and chickens. I want to share with you of all the foods, my favorite is rice. I love to eat it. In my free time I like to play tag with my friends. One year ago, my father left to go to the United States. His name is Pedro Tino Gutierrez, and he works in construction and helps us economically. My mother´s name is Maria Elena Gonzalez Jimon. My mother stays at home, and she takes care of us. She has some hens and from time to time, she sells one of them. We are in good health. I have three brothers and two sisters; in total we are six siblings. We attend Prince of Peace Church. We live in our own house. It has two rooms and a kitchen. It is made of adobe walls, and a tile roof with concrete floor. We have an artisanal well from which we draw water for our consumption. We do not have own our electricity. My grandfather shares it with us, and we pay him every month. We raise some pigs, hens and sheep. We have many needs, but the greatest need is to put a roof on the place where we have our water tank. Because when it is rainy or when it is very hot, it is difficult to use it.  We walk about 20 minutes to get to the feeding program. I am thankful for taking your time to read my history.

Take care of yourself!

Neysi Dayana Guadalupe Tino Gonzalez

Translated by: Magnolia De Torres / A-A-C Secretary-Antigua Guatemala