My Story

Zacualpa is a small but busy village in a mountain valley. The village is inhabited by both Quiche Mayans and Ladinos (those with mixed European ancestry). The prevalent language is Spanish. Families in this village live in one or two room homes generally constructed of either wood or adobe. Although many of the people are farmers, the village contains several small specialized stores, a body repair shop for buses, mechanics, plumbers and many other small-town tradesmen. It also has a large open-air market which serves much of the area. Even with all of this, the poverty level is very high and the children are very needy. 

Hello! How are you? My name is Leidy Paula Maribel Garcia Simaj, and I want to tell you a little about me. I was born on July 27, 2020, so I am 5 years old now. I am in good health, and I am attending preschool this year. I love playing with my dolls in my free time, and I enjoy eating fried chicken. My favorite color is pink, and I like dogs. I have one sister and one brother. I attend the Catholic Church with my family. My mother’s name is Rosa Maria Simaj Garcia, and she raises domestic animals for selling. She also sometimes works as a weaver, and she is in good health. She is a single parent since my father abandoned us one year ago and established a new family; my father’s name is Carlos Garcia Quino.

We are living with my paternal grandparents, and they support us with some groceries and corn. My grandpa, Teodoro, works as a farmer and day laborer while my grandma, Paula, works as a midwife; thankfully, they are both in good health. My grandparents’ house has two rooms and a kitchen. It is made of adobe with a tin sheet roof and concrete floor. We use a solar panel to have electricity at home, and we use a hose to bring the water from a spring. We have pigs and hens at home. We are a humble family, and our frequent needs are groceries and clothes; please keep us in your prayers. We live 30 minutes away from the feeding program, and we pay a moto-taxi to get there. I tell you that my mom helped me to give my information to LW evangelism team, and she accompanies me to the program; sometimes, one of my aunts does it. I thank you for taking the time to read my letter.

Yours truly

Leidy Paula Maribel Garcia Simaj

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