My Story

Chixocol, where your child lives, is a very small village nestled in a mountain valley in the state of Quiché, Guatemala.  Life in this state is very difficult and somewhat isolated from the outside world.  Most families live in one-room adobe houses with dirt floors and a small attached kitchen.  The extremely poor live-in houses made of corn stalks.  In the past few years electricity and water have become available to most people in the area - however, indoor plumbing is very rare.  Most of the families are farmers or shepherds and live off the fruits of their labors.  Public education is available for those who can afford it and consider it of value.  Life in Quiché is always a challenge.

Hello! My name is Samuel de Leon Chitic and I was born on September 17, 2015 in Zacualpa, Quiche. I am an eleven-year-old boy and I am in good health. I like to play soccer and I love the color blue. My favorite meal is chicken. I love lions. I am in 5^th grade this year. I have three brothers and one sister, and two of them also are registered in the Feeding Program. We come to the project in twenty minutes by bus, and my mother accompanies us. My father is Carlos de Leon de la Cruz and my mother is Ana Chitic Panjoj. She contributes with some money to the home expenses when she sells her hens. My father is a day laborer, and he also makes artisanal wells to sustain the family. Unfortunately, my mother is suffering from an allergy in her body, but she is not under medical treatment due to a lack of money. My father is having problems with his mobility because he has worn a prothesis on his right leg since his childhood. Unfortunately, he suffered a motorcycle accident, and his prothesis is broken and damaged. For him, it is so difficult to walk, but thankfully, he continues doing his best for our family. We are a needy family and our current needs are groceries, corn and clothing. We have pigs and hens at home, but my mother would like to have some chicks because we have enough space in the house for them. We are members of Assembly of God Christian Church.

We live in my father`s house and we have three rooms and a separated kitchen. The rooms are made of adobe, tin sheet and cemented floors. We have running water and electricity. My father pays the water service once a year and the electricity bills monthly. Well, it was a pleasure for me to send you my personal information and I hope you find it interesting. I send you every kind of blessing!

Sincerely yours,

Samuel de Leon Chitic

Translated By: Gladys de Catavi, AAC Secretary-Antigua