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.

Hello! I am Liam Estif Gomez Coz. I was born on December 13^th, 2017, and I am 5 years old.

I attend Pre-kindergarten this year. My favorite animal is the octopus, and the color I love is green. The food I love to eat are potatoes, broccoli and meat. I enjoy riding my bicycle and playing with my motorcycle toy. I live with my parents and one brother; thank God, we are fine. My father is Josue David Gomez Ordonez. He supplies the family´s needs by farming the land on San Sebastian Farm and earns Q60.00 = $8.00 daily. It is not very much and sometimes we go through difficulties because of lack of money. My mother is Sandra Raquel Coz Tunche. Most of the time, she stays busy with the housework and takes care of my young brother and me. We have two dogs as pets.

The house in which we live belongs to San Sebastian Farm and they have loaned it to us. There are five rooms, but we use only one and the kitchen is separate. Both walls and roof are made of tin sheets, one part of the floor is concrete, and the other part is dirt. We have electricity and running water; my father is the one who pays for them. My grandparents live next to us. We attend Foursquare Church in our village. I walk 20 minutes to arrive at the feeding program. Our primary needs are groceries. Let me tell you that my mother is Sandra Raquel Coz Tunche, and she gave the information to the Living Water staff for my registration. Take care. Every blessing for you!

Huge hugs,

Liam Estif Gomez Coz

Translated by: Violeta Hernandez / A-A-C Secretary-Antigua Guatemala