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. 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, it is a pleasure to greet you hoping you are well. My name is Efrain Armando Sicajau Luis, and I am now 8 years old. I am in 1^st grade this year. In my spare time, I like to play soccer. My favorite color is blue and I like chickens. The meal that I like the most is fried chicken. My father was not responsible for me, and we do not know anything about him. He never legally recognized me as his child. My mother is Sebastiana Sicajau Luis, and she is a housewife and stays at home taking care of her two little children because my sister Maritza and I are under the care of my grandparents. My mother has a new partner who is the father of my little siblings, and he only supports them. However, all of us live in the same house. My grandparents’ names are Margarita Luis Cux y Francisco Cuin Sicajau. He works as a day laborer and she is a housewife. I live in my grandparents’ house. There are three rooms and a separate kitchen. The house is made of adobe and tin sheet, tin sheet roof and dirt floor. We do not have running water so we draw it from a well with jars. We do not have electricity either, so we use ocote and candles for lighting. Our main needs are groceries, clothes and shoes. We attend a Methodist church called Salvation Rock. I walk about one hour to come to the feeding program. My mother helped me to give my information. Thank God, all the family is well. God bless you and I hope to hear from you soon.

Yours very truly

Efrain Armando Sicajau Luis

Translated by: Lucia Gravez/AAC Secretary