My Story

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

I am Juana Cristina Perez Aguilar, and I am ten years old. I was born on October 19, 2011. I am in good health. I live with my parents and with my two sisters. My father works as a tuc-tuc driver every day, and he supplies our needs. My mother is a housewife, and she takes care of us. My family and I attend a Methodist Church. This year, I am in the fourth grade at school. I enjoy playing toys dishes, and after that, I do my homework. I like the color purple, and my favorite animal is the dog. I love to eat fried chicken. We live in a house that belongs to my uncle, and we do not have to pay him for rent. The house is made adobe, tile roof and concrete floor. We have one room, and we cook outside. We have running water and electricity; my father pays for both services. We have dogs at home. Our necessities are corn, sugar and black beans. My uncle brings my sister and me to the feeding program, and we walk about eight minutes to arrive.

Hugs and many blessings,

Juana Cristina Perez Aguilar

Translated by: Esther Hernández, AAC Secretary/Antigua