My Story

Zacualpa is a small but busy village in a mountain valley. The village is inhabited by both Quiche Mayans and Ladinos (those with mixed European ancestry). The prevalent language is Spanish. Families in this village live in one or two room homes generally constructed of either wood or adobe. Although many of the people are farmers, the village contains several small specialized stores, a body repair shop for buses, mechanics, plumbers and many other small-town tradesmen. It also has a large open-air market which serves much of the area. Even with all of this, the poverty level is very high and the children are very needy.

Hello! How are you doing? My name is Leily Genesis Ruiz Garcia, and it is a pleasure to share a little about my life with you. I am a healthy 11-year-old girl. I was born on February 25, 2015. I am in fifth grade and I love having chicken soup with my meals. My favorite animals are cats. I have a lot of fun drawing and coloring, so I can say those are my favorite hobbies. The people who I live with are my mother, grandmother, and brother. We are only two children in my family.

My mother’s name is Maria Garcia Toj. She is a housewife and works in a tortilleria business on Sundays to earn some income. She also has worked as a day laborer, although she has only done it occasionally. I do not have my father with me because he separated from my mother about ten years ago. His name is Marcos Ruiz Riz and he is currently in the United States. I do not know what he does for a living, but he helps me financially when he is able. He usually calls me once a month.

Fortunately, my family is doing well. We attend a Pentecostal local church called Prince of Peace. My maternal grandmother is the owner of the house where we live. It is made of adobe walls with metal tin sheet roof and dirt floor. It has three rooms and a separated kitchen. We pay for the electricity monthly, and running water annually. Please, pray for us. We are a humble family and most of our needs are groceries. Being enrolled at the feeding program in Zacualpa excites me a lot. My house is about 30 minutes away from it. I usually walk to get there. Thank you so much for taking the time to reading my information!

Best wishes,

Leily Genesis Ruiz Garcia

Translated by: Hillary Popol, A-A-C Secretary / Guatemala