My Story

Chixocol, where your child lives, is a very small village nestled in a mountain valley in the state of Quiché, Guatemala. Life in this state is very difficult. 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 Quiché is always a challenge.

Hello! My name is Gladis Marleny Ajqui Ajqui. I am a healthy child who was born on January 2, 2011. Currently, I am 12 years old, and I am in 5^th grade. I stay at home playing and helping my mother with the chores. I love the color pink, and I like cats. My favorite food is fried chicken. I have one brother and two sisters; two of them are registered at the feeding program too. My family and I attend a Pentecostal Church. My father’s name is Domingo Ajqui de la Cruz, and he repairs appliances to support us. My mother’s name is Martina Ajqui Garcia, and she does the laundry of others to help with the income.

We are living in a rented house, and we pay Q1,000.00 quetzals (about $134) per month. The house has two rooms and a separate kitchen, and it is made of adobe with a tin sheet roof and dirt floor. We do not have running water and electricity services. We go to wash our things in the river, and a neighbor provides us with water to drink. We use candles at night. We have hens as domestic animals. Our frequent needs are groceries like corn. I walk for one hour to arrive at the feeding program. I want to ask you to pray for my family since we have a big debt (mortgage on land), and we are doing our best to pay it. My mom helped me to give this information to a LW Evangelism teacher. I thank you for reading my little letter, and I hope you find it interesting.

In Jesus name

Gladis Marleny Ajqui Ajqui

Translated by: Loyda de Osorio/A-A-C Secretary, Antigua Guatemala