My Story

Zacualpa is a small but busy village in a mountain valley. The village is inhabited by both Quiché Indians 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.

I hope you have a wonderful day. Thank you very much for being interested in my information. My name is Franco Damian Tino Lindo, and I am 12 years old. I was born on September 18, 2013 in a village called Joyabaj. I live with my mom, stepfather, three brothers and one sister. By the grace of God, we are in good health. My mother´s name is Juana Lindo Tino. She does the housework and raises hens and cows for selling. Moreover, she washes clothes for others to earn some money. My stepfather´s name is Israel Grave Lopez. He does farm and day labor work to supply the home needs. My biological father is Agustin Tino Ventura. Sadly, he abandoned us when I was only 4 years old. Since then, we know nothing about him nor have we received any support from him.

Now, I will share a few things about me. I am a sixth-grade student this year. My hobby is to play football. My favorite color is black, and I love cats. The meal I love the most is fried chicken. We are a Christian family and we are attending the Prince of Peace Church. Thankfully, my stepfather owns the house in which we live. There are two adobe rooms with tin sheet roof and a cement floor. We have electricity but no water; my parents pay for the electricity every month. My stepfather´s mother shares water with us. We raise hens and a cow. The greatest needs for us are groceries and clothes. I am so grateful to be enrolled in the feeding program. I live an hour away, and I have to walk for 20 minutes, and then, I take a tuk-tuk. My mom usually accompanies me to the program. I would like to hear news from you very soon. May God bless you!

Lots of love,

Franco Damian Tino Lindo

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