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 Andy Jefferson Enrique Sanchez Mendez. I want to tell you a little about me. Thankfully, I am in good health. I was born on December 17, 2019, so I am 5 years old. I am attending school, and I am in pre-kindergarten. I like playing with dinosaurs and big toy cars; I really love dinosaurs. My favorite color is red. I enjoy eating egg and pizza. I have one brother and two sisters, and two of them are registered at the feeding program too. My family and I attend Divine Mercy Church. My father’s name is Elver Evel Sanchez Golon, and my mother’s name is Pamela Isabel Mendez Valdez. My dad has never lived with me nor supported me financially. My mother is the only one who covers our needs, and she works as a Spanish teacher.

We do not have our own house, so we are renting one; we pay Q 1,000.00 quetzals (about $133.00) per month. The house has 2 rooms made of concrete block and tin sheets with a tin sheet roof and ceramic and dirt floor; we cook in one of the rooms. We have running water and electricity service, and my mother pays these bills. We have one cat and one hen as pets.

I walk for 30 minutes to arrive at the feeding program, and my family and I are so grateful for having the opportunity to be registered in it. In this occasion, my mother helped me to give my information to an Evangelism teacher, and I hope you find my letter interesting. I say goodbye to you for now.

With much love

Andy Jefferson Enrique Sanchez Mendez

Translated by: Loyda de Osorio, AAC Secretary-Antigua