Cuatro Caminos "four roads", where your child lives, is an area located high on the side of a mountain in the state of Quiche, Guatemala. Life in this area is very difficult and very isolated from the outside world. It is a two hour walk to the nearest market town of Zacualpa. Cuatro Caminos is a farming area where corn and black beans, the staple elements in their diet, are the major crops. The Quiche Mayans who inhabit this area trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization. They normally speak a Mayan dialect called Quiche - however, Spanish is becoming more common. Very little money ever changes hands in this area as they live on a barter system.  

Hello! This is Marta Siomara Garcia Ruiz, and I hope you are fine. I am writing this letter to tell you a little about me. I am a healthy girl, and I am 8 years old; I was born on March 7, 2018. I am attending school, and I am repeating 1st grade this year. In my free time, I play with my dolls. I love eating fried chicken, and I like the color purple. My favorite animal is the dog. We have sheep, hens and pigs at home. I only have one brother. My family and I believe in God, and we are members of a Methodist Church. Please pray for us since we are always in need of groceries. I have to walk for 30 minutes to arrive at the feeding program, but I am happy to be part of it.  

Now let’s talk about my parents. My father’s name is Adan Garcia Calachij, but sadly, he abandoned us 7 years ago; I was a baby. My mother’s name is Manuela Ruiz Garcia de Garcia, and she is in good health. She works in a tortillas business in Zacualpa town, so she only comes home once a month; but she communicates with me by phone every two days. For this reason, I am under the care of my maternal aunt whose name is Dominga Ruiz Garcia. I live with my maternal grandparents and four aunts; the house belongs to my grandfather. It is made of wooden walls with a tin sheet roof and dirt floor, and it has two rooms and a kitchen. We have electricity service, and the church’s brethren provides us with the water; the church is next to our house. Well, this is all for now.

Sincerely yours 

Marta Siomara Garcia Ruiz 

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