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 Quiche 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! My name is Dayana Manuela Ruiz Mendez, and I hope my letter finds you well. I want to tell you about my life. I was born on October 19, 2020, so I am now 4 years old. I am in good health, and I do not attend school yet due to my age. In my free time, I play with my dolls. My favorite color is red, and I love ducks. I really enjoy eating eggs with sausage. We do not have our own house, so we live with my maternal grandparents, Daniel and Manuela. The house has four rooms and a kitchen, and it is made of adobe with a tile roof and dirt floor. We have electricity service, and we pay the bill every month. We use a hose to get water from a river to home.

I am the only child in the family, and I walk for 45 minutes to arrive at the program. My father’s name is Gabriel Ruiz Garcia, and he works as a farmer and day laborer. My mother’s name is Irma Yolanda Mendez Morente, and she is a housewife. They share the home expenses with my grandparents. We have hens, turkeys and ducks at home. We believe in God, and we attend Prince of Peace Church. We are a humble family, and we are frequently in need of groceries, clothes and shoes. My mother accompanies me to the program, and in this occasion, she helped me to give my information to the Evangelism team. Please keep us in your prayers. I say goodbye to you for now.

With much love

Dayana Manuela Ruiz Mendez

Translated by: Loyda de Osorio, AAC Secretary-Antigua Guatemala