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

I have joy in my heart about writing this letter and I will share a little about my life and my family. My name is Meliza Ester Morente Gutierrez. I was born on October 11^th, 2019, and I am 5 years old. I do not attend school yet. I love purple and cats. My favorite food is beans with rice. I enjoy playing with dolls in my free time with my sisters. I want to tell you about my family. I live with my mother and siblings because my father passed away 5 years ago. Sadly, I did not have the opportunity to know him, and he do not could legally recognize me because he died before I was born. My mother´s name is Rosa Morente Gutierrez. My mother is a housewife and has some domestic animals which sells from time to time and other times, she uses them for our consumption. Thanks to God, my mother is in the WIN Project, and she is receiving her food and medical and dental attention. Ronaldo is my older brother, and he is a farmer and helps us with our expenses. My brother Israel is in The United States. He helps us from time to time because he has his own family. My sister Sandra works as a day laborer with our neighbors, and she helps to cover some of our expenses too. We live in my mother´s house. The house has four rooms and a kitchen. It is made of adobe walls with a tin sheet roof. We have two rooms with dirt floor and the other two with concrete floor. Thanks to God, we have electricity and running water. My brother Israel pays for these services. We have some hens, pigs and cats. We are members of a Christian Church. We have many needs, but the greatest are corn, groceries and school supplies. We live near the feeding program. We get there in 10 minutes on foot. I am very grateful because you took time to read my letter.

Many blessings,

Meliza Ester Morente Gutierrez

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