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 Mayans who inhabit this area trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization. They normally speak a Mayan 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 so glad to greet you by this means and share with you something about my family and me. Thankfully, I am in good health condition. My name is Edy Benito Ramos. I am 7 years old since I was born on May 27, 2016. I am in pre-kinder this year; I enjoy playing ball in my spare time. My favorite meal is fried chicken, I like the color blue, and the cow is the animal I like the most. I have two brothers and three sisters; two of them are registered at the feeding program. We enjoy attending the program to eat the delicious meals we receive there, and it only take us 20 minutes to arrive. We live with our parents. My father’s name is Nazario Benito Riz, and he works so hard as a farmer to cover our needs. My mother’s name is Gregoria Ramos Lopez, and she is a housewife and takes care of us. At the moment, we are not attending any church yet.

We live in our own three-room house; it is made of adobe with a tin sheet roof and dirt floor. We have a separate kitchen, electricity, and my father pay this service. We do not have running water, so we carry it from the river. At home we have hens and a pig. As a family we are in need of groceries, and school supplies, but we trust that God will help us to go ahead. Two of my siblings and I are registered at the program. We walk 20 minutes to get there. My mother came to register me and gave all this information. I say goodbye to you for now. I will be waiting to hear from you soon, and I wish you many blessings in everything you do.

Cordially Yours,

Edy Benito Ramos

Translated by: Luisa Reyes /A-A-C Secretary/ Guatemala