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.

Special regards! I am so happy to greet you through this letter. My full name is Teodoro Bryant Garcia Simaj and I will tell you a little about my life, hoping you find my information engaging. I was born on March 24, 2019. Thankfully, I am in good health. I am in first grade and my favorite color is blue. Some of my interests are shepherding sheep and doing homework. My favorite animals are dogs and what I love eating the most is rice with beans. I live with my mother, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and siblings. I have one brother and one sister. We attend the Catholic Church. My mother’s name is Rosa Maria Simaj Garcia and she sells chickens, sheep, and pigs that she raises to support our family. By the grace of the Lord, we have my grandfather’s financial support. 

Our family is big and most of our needs are groceries, shoes, and clothes. Unfortunately, I do not have my father with me because he abandoned our family about two years ago. His name is Carlos Garcia Quino. The house where we live belongs to my grandparents. It is made of adobe with tin sheet roof and concrete floors. It has four rooms and a separate kitchen. We get water from a nearby spring by using a hose. To get electricity at home, we use a solar panel. As for pets, I tell you that we have one dog. To end this letter, I want you to know that I am so happy to be part of the feeding program. I live about 30 minutes away, so I take a bus to get there. My aunt is enrolled in the WIN project and she is in charge of taking me to the feeding program. Until next time!

Lots of love,

Teodoro Bryant Garcia Simaj

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Guatemala