My Story

Chixocol, where your child lives, is a very small village nestled in a mountain valley in the state of Quiché, Guatemala. Life in this state is very difficult and somewhat isolated from the outside world. Most families live in one-room adobe houses with dirt floors and a small attached kitchen. The extremely poor live in houses made of corn stalks. In the past few years electricity and water has become available to most people in the area - however, indoor plumbing is very rare. Most of the families are farmers or shepherds and live off the fruits of their labors. Public education is available for those who can afford it and consider it of value. Life in Quiché is always a challenge.

It is my pleasure to greet you in this opportunity! My full name is Laureana Leticia Gomez Garcia. My birthdate is April 25, 2017, and I am now 8 years old. By the grace of God, my family and I are in good health. Irma Garcia Garcia is my mom, and she stays busy with the household chores. She also raises hens and pigs to sell and help herself economically. Ramiro Gomez Calachij is my father. He makes a living as a farmer, and he mostly works on the coast. He visits us every 6 months and does his best for our family.

Now, I will share a few things about myself. I am in second grade at school this year and I am not repeating my grade. I still enjoy playing with my dolls. The meal I enjoy the most is chicken in tomato sauce. We called it “Pollo en recado”. I love the color green, and the animal I like the most is the rabbit. We are attending the Prince of Peace Church. Since we do not have our own house, we are living in my maternal grandmother´s house; she lives there. Fortunately, we do not pay for rent. It is an adobe house; there are two rooms with a tin sheet roof and a cement floor. We have a kitchen. We have running water and electricity services; my family pays for those services. The water is paid once a year, and the electricity is paid monthly. As a family our greatest needs are groceries. I am so excited to be enrolled in the feeding program and I get there by walking in 20 minutes. I usually attend alongside my sister. Well, that is all for now, and I hope to receive news from you very soon. May God bless you!

A bunch of hugs,

Laureana Leticia Gomez Garcia

Translated by: Violeta Hernandez / A-A-C Secretary-Antigua Guatemala