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.

My full name is Daylin Magali Calachij Quino and I am so happy to share my information with you through this letter. I was born on October 4, 2022. I had a cleft lip correction when I was eleven months old. Thankfully, I am in good health and I love playing with dolls. In my free time, I sometimes go for walks with my grandmother. I still do not attend school because of my young age. My favorite color is purple. I like cats, and what I love eating the most is fried chicken. I am an only child and I live with my mother and grandparents. My mother’s name is Felipa Isabel Quino Riz and she is a single parent. She works hard by selling food in the market to cover our needs. Most of our needs are groceries, clothes, and shoes.

Unfortunately, I do not have my father with me because he abandoned us, and now, he has another family. His name is Ronaldo Alexander Calachij Calachij. My mother and I attend a Pentecostal Church called Prince of Peace alongside my grandparents. We live in a two-room house with a separate kitchen, electricity and running water. My grandparents are the owners of the house. We raise chickens, pigs, and sheep for our consumption. We also have one dog at home as a pet. I am so happy to be part of the feeding program because I enjoy delicious food. My grandmother accompanies me and we usually take a bus to get to the program. It usually takes us fifteen minutes from our house. It is time to say goodbye, but I hope you enjoyed my information.

Kisses and hugs,

Daylin Magali Calachij Quino

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Guatemala