My Story

Dueñas, where your child lives, is a small farming village located at the foot of one of Guatemala's active volcanoes, Fuego (Fire). The fertile ground around the village allows for the cultivation of roses and coffee, two of Guatemala's largest exports. Most of the families in this area live in one or two room wooden or adobe houses with tin roofs. Electricity is available to those who can afford it. Running water is available - however, most homes do not have indoor plumbing. Public education is available for those who can afford it and consider education of value. Life in Dueñas is quiet and sometimes difficult.

May the grace of the Lord be with you! This is Carolina Eulalia Ramirez Diego, and I am excited to tell you a little about my life through this letter. I was born on May 13, 2019. Fortunately, I am a healthy 5-year-old girl. I attend school as a pre-kindergartener. After classes, I enjoy playing with my dolls. My favorite color is pink. I like cats, and my favorite food is fried chicken. Now, let me tell you about my family. I have one brother and one sister. I am the youngest child in my family. My father is Jeremias Francisco Ramirez Toledo. He works as a gardener at a place called Among Volcanoes residential. My mother is Margarita Diego Ramirez. She makes a living as a domestic employee once a week. I want you to know that she helped me write this letter to you. Like my father, she does her best to support our family economically with her income.

We are a humble family, and our greatest need is food. My family and I are members of a Renewal Charismatic group, which belongs to the Catholic Church. Fortunately, we live in our own house. There is nobody else living with us. The house’s walls and roofs are made of tin sheets with dirt floors. It has two rooms, a separate kitchen, electricity, and running water. Luckily, we have enough space at home for our domestic animals. We have one dog, one cat, and five chickens. My family and I are grateful to LW-Adopt A Child for blessing us with food. My siblings and I usually walk five minutes from our home to get to the feeding program. I will leave you now, but I thank you so much for taking the time to read my letter. See you soon!

Best wishes,

Carolina Eulalia Ramirez Diego

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala