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 Eduardo Matias Mendoza, and I want to tell you about me. I was born on August 21, 2020, so I am 4 years old. I am in good health, and I play toy cars in my free time. I do not attend school yet due to my age. I love blue, and my favorite animal is the dog. I really enjoy eating fried chicken. I have two brothers and one sister, and two of them are registered at the feeding program too. I am under the care of my grandmother Dominga Riz Simaj, who is 70 years old, since my mother works in a tortillas business in Guatemala City. Her name is Juana Isabel Mendoza Riz, and she is a single parent. My father abandoned us and did not want to legally recognize me.

My family and I attend the Catholic Church, and I would like to ask you to keep us in your prayers since we are always in need of groceries and clothes. We live in a house that belongs to my maternal grandparents. The house has two rooms and one kitchen, and it is made of adobe with a tin sheet roof and dirt floor. We have electricity and running water services. We have hens at home. I walk for 10 minutes with my siblings to arrive at the feeding program, and I am happy to be part of it. My grandma helped me to give my information to the Evangelism team. I end my letter wishing you the best.

Kisses and hugs

Eduardo Matias Mendoza

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