My Story

Zacualpa is a small but busy village in a mountain valley. The village is inhabited by both Quiche Mayans 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.

Hello! It is such a pleasure to greet you by means of this information letter. This is Keyla Yojana Gonzalez Coj and I was born on January 22, 2017. I am in good health and I am doing my best as a second-grade student. I like helping my mother to wash the dishes in my free time. I love having eggs with sausages for my meals. My favorite color is pink and I like butterflies. I live with my mother and siblings. I have two brothers and four sisters. Fortunately, they are in good health. My mother’s name is Laureana Gonzalez Coj and makes a living by embroidering typical clothes. She also sells chickens and turkeys that she raises to support our family. Some of our greatest needs are groceries.

About my biological father, I tell you that he could not recognize me legally because he is in prison unfortunately. I know he is doing well because my mother visits him monthly. At the moment, my family and I do not attend any church. We live in our own two-room house with a separate kitchen and electricity. A neighbor shares the running water service with us, and my mother pays him for it monthly. The house is made of adobe with a tin sheet roof and dirt floor. We live about 20 minutes from the feeding program. My oldest sister and I sometimes get there by moto. At the moment, we do not attend any church. It is time to say goodbye, but I hope to hear from you soon.

With much love,

Keyla Yojana Gonzalez Coj

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Guatemala