My Story

Duenas, where your child lives, is a small farming village located at the foot of one of Guatemala's active volcanoes, Fuego (Fire). The fertile ground around the village allows for the cultivation of roses and coffee, two of Guatemala's largest exports. Most of the families in this area live in one or two room wooden or adobe houses with tin roofs. Electricity is available to those who can afford it. Running water is available - however, most homes do not have indoor plumbing. Public education is available for those who can afford it and consider education of value. Life in Duenas is quiet and sometimes difficult.

Hello! How are you? My name is Marcos Daniel Rodriguez Mixia, and I was born on January 2, 2017; so now, I am 8 years old. I am in 2nd grade this year, and in my free time, I like drawing. Thankfully, I am in good health. My favorite color is blue, and I love ducks. I really enjoy eating pizza. I only have one sister. I have one duck, one cat and one dog as pets. Our house is located 15 minutes away from the program, and I walk to get there. My family and I are members of the Catholic Church. My father’s name was Moises Rodriguez Yach, and sadly, he passed away due to an accident 7 years ago. My mother’s name is Ana Cecilia Mixia Salazar, and she works in a tortillas business to cover our needs.

My family and I live in my maternal grandmother’s house, and we share it with other two families; they are my mother’s brothers and their families. My grandmother’s name is Ana Maria. The house has three rooms and one kitchen, and we use one of the rooms. The house is made of concrete block and tin sheets with a tin sheet roof and concrete floor. We have electricity service, and one cousin provides us with running water; we pay him for this every month. We are a humble family and our frequent needs are groceries, clothes and shoes. This is my information, and my mother helped me with it. I hope you find it interesting.

With much love

Marcos Daniel Rodriguez Mixia

Translated by: Loyda de Osorio, AAC Secretary-Antigua