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 am Shirley Nahomy Chiquiaj de la Cruz, and I am excited to tell you about me. I am 4 years old. I was born on April 23, 2022, in Zacualpa Quiche. I am in preschool. I like pink and rabbits. I love eating beef broth. My health is good thanks to God. My hobbies are playing with dolls and toy dishes. I have one brother and two sisters.

My parents are Francisco Quiquiaj Gutierrez and Rebeca de la Cruz Chingo. My father sustains us by working as a farmer for others while my mother stays at home with us and does the housework. My father does not have a stable job, and for that reason, my mother sells chickens when it is necessary. Thank God, they are healthy currently. I like attending the feeding program with my siblings. My mother or father takes us to the program since it is 40 minutes away from our house.

Fortunately, we do not rent a house because my father owns one. We use solar panels for light. There is a water spring 4 minutes away from the house, so we get the water from there. The house is made of tin sheet roof and walls with dirt floor. It has two rooms plus the kitchen. As for domestic animals, we just have chickens. Unfortunately, we do not attend church as a family, but I hope my parents take the decision soon. Well, it is time to say goodbye. I send my love and prayers to you and your family. May God bless you richly!

Sincerely yours,

Shirley Nahomy Chiquiaj de la Cruz

Translated by: Mireya de Sandoval, AAC Secretary / Antigua