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.

My name is Astrid Mishel Cojolon Esquit, and I want to share with you a little about my family and me. I was born on March 10, 2018, so I am 8 years old. My parents are Jose Isaias Cojolon Petcera and Mirian Elizabeth Esquit Zamora. My father works as a farmer while my mother works hard at home; she helped me to write this letter. I have two brothers and one sister, and two of them are registered at the feeding program too; they are Jose and Evelyn. We usually walk for 5 minutes to arrive at the program. As a family, we are attending a Pentecostal Church called “Stoking the fire of the end”.

I am attending school, and I am in 1^st grade this year. Thankfully, I am in good health. I have vision problems so I have to wear glasses. In my free time, I like playing with toy dishes. I love the color red, and I like cats. We have cats and a dog as pets. My favorite food is a typical one called “Pepian”. We live in our own house which is made of concrete block with a tin sheet roof and concrete floor; it has running water and electricity services. Our house has one room and a kitchen. We are a humble family, and our frequent needs are groceries and food. Please keep us in your prayers. I say goodbye to you for now, and I hope to have news from you soon.

Many blessings

Astrid Mishel Cojolon Esquit

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