My Story

Chixocol, where your child lives, is a very small village nestled in a mountain valley in the state of Quiche, 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 Quiche is always a challenge.

 Hello! My full name is Brandon Isidro de la Cruz Ventura, and I am delighted to write this letter to you.  I am 11 years old. I was born on October 16th, 2012. I attend school and I am in 4th grade. My favorite pastime is playing soccer with my brothers. My favorite color is yellow, and I like dogs. One of my favorite foods is beef broth, I love to eat it. My family and I attend a Christian Church. By the grace of God, we are in good health. My parents make their best effort to cover our expenses. My father´s name is David de la Cruz Aguilar. He works as a day laborer and as a farmer too. My mother´s name is Irma Libia Ventura Canil. She works selling food on Thursday and Sunday in the market. We live in our own house. It has four rooms, but we use three of them, and a separate kitchen. The house is made of block walls, tin sheet roof and granite floor. Fortunately, we have running water and electricity, and my father pays for the services. We raise some hens. We are a family with many needs, and some of them are groceries. We live 20 minutes away from the feeding program. We must pay a car to get there. I hope you find my information interesting.

Many Greetings,

Brandon Isidro de la Cruz Ventura

Translated by: Magnolia De Torres / A-A-C Secretary-Antigua Guatemala