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.

It is a pleasure to greet you, hoping that you are doing well. My name is Juana Gricelda Tebalan Jimon, and I was born on January 19, 2020. I am 4 years old. This is my first year at school and I am in Preschool. My favorite color is red. I love tigers, and my favorite food is beans with sausages. I like to play with dolls with my siblings at home. I want to tell you about my family. My father is Juan Tebalan Suar, and he abandoned us three years ago. We don´t know anything about him. My mother is the only one who struggles to give us all the necessities. She weaves typical clothes and raises some hens to sell and earn some money. I have one brother and one sister. My sister Lesbia is part of this big blessing of the feeding program too. We are members of a Catholic Church. We live in my maternal grandmother´s house with my grandparents and my uncles. It has three rooms and a kitchen. The materials that the house is made of are adobe walls, tin sheet roof and dirt floor. We have running water and electricity. We share the payment for these services with my uncles. Despite the effort my mother makes, we have many needs and some of them are clothes and groceries. We walk around 1 hour to arrive at the feeding program. I say goodbye to you, and I am very grateful to you for reading my letter. May God bless you always!

Lots of hugs

Juana Gricelda Tebalan Jimon

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