My Story

Cuatro Caminos "four roads", where your child lives, is an area located high on the side of a mountain in the state of Quiché, 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 Quiché Indians who inhabit this area trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization.  They normally speak an Indian dialect called Quiché - however, Spanish is becoming more common.  Very little money ever changes hands in this area as they live on a barter system.

Hello! I hope you are doing well and blessed. Let me introduce myself to you. I am Angel Yovani Garica Perez. I was born in Chimaltenango on August 18, 2014. I turned 12 years old this year. I have 4 brothers and no sisters. My health is good thanks to God. I am in the 5^th grade at school, and my favorite color is black. I love eating pizza. My favorite pet is a duck. I walk for 35 minutes to get to the program alongside my siblings.

I live with both of my parents. Their names are Cristobal Garica de la Cruz and Rosa Marina Peres Alquejay. My father works in an auto repair shop in our community while mother stays with us at home and does the household work. Their health is good thanks to God. We faithfully attend the Methodist Church.

My father owns the humble house where we live. My paternal grandmother also lives with us. It has two rooms and a kitchen made of tin sheet roof and walls and cemented floor.  There is electricity that my father pays for every month. We use a hose to get the water from a nearby river for our use. We also have some chickens and a dog at home. Like many other families, we have needs, but the main ones are food, clothes and shoes. Well, I have to say goodbye to you. Thank you for your good heart and for blessing others like me. I send you my love.

Truly yours,

Angel Yovani Garcia Pérez

Translated by: Mireya de Sandoval, AAC Secretary / Antigua