My Name is Juan

Hi there! I'm an 11-year-old boy and I live in Cotzal, a northern part of Guatemala. I have a big family, with three sisters and two brothers! At school, I love language class the most. After school, I help my family with chores and carrying wood. I'm a big soccer fan and love to kick the ball around when I can.

Life in Cotzal is pretty tough. Most of us have small farms where we grow maize and other vegetables to sell. Many dads have to leave for long times to work in coffee farms. This is because of an old, mean civil war that happened before I was even born. But don't worry - things are looking up! All thanks to child sponsorship and an organization called FH, which has brought hope and change. They're helping me go to school and teaching my parents better ways to farm and take care of our health.

I'm very thankful to FH and you know what? It's really starting to feel like I can have a great future. Please keep me and my family in your thoughts, as we work hard to improve our community. Thanks for listening to my story and supporting me.