My Story

Jocotenango, where your child lives, is in the state of Sacatepéquez, Guatemala and is a suburb of Antigua. It is an urban environment and is inhabited by both Quiché Indians and Ladinos (those with mixed European ancestry). Most of the children attend school, but financial hardship affects many families and forces most of the children to leave after the sixth grade. Only one out of ten children finish high school. Children in this area face temptations from gangs and drugs.

Hello! My name is Brandon Javier Montufar. My birthdate is September 15^th of 2014, and I am now 10 years old. This year I attend 3^rd grade at school. I spend my free time drawing, playing basketball and volleyball and sometimes, I go for a walk. My favorite colors are black and grey. I love cats, but my pet is a dog. My favorite food is pizza. I have one brother who is also registered in the program. Thankfully, my family and I are in good health. My biological father is not in my life because he did not want to be responsible for us. My mother is Sorayda Montufar. She is a merchant and sells clothing in our village to get income. Now, she has a new partner, he is Mr. Edwin Yovani Alvisures Lemus. He is also a merchant and helps my mother economically.

For now, we do not attend a church. We live in a rented house and the monthly payment is Q2,000.00 = $267.00. My mother´s partner pays for rent. There are four rooms and the kitchen is separated. The house is made of concrete blocks, tin roof and a ceramic floor. We have running water and electricity; each month my mother makes the payments. I am very happy to attend the feeding program, it is a great blessing for me to be registered and I walk about five minutes to get there. Thank you for reading my information. I hope to hear news from you very soon. Every kind of blessing for you!

Lots of love,

Brandon Javier Montufar

Translated by: Violeta Hernandez / A-A-C Secretary-Antigua Guatemala