My name is Brayan Eliú Batres Marroquín. I am 14 years old and live in a village called El Sause Xejuyu, near San Martin, Jilotepeque, Guatemala.  My family us made up of 5 members: My father Edgar, 39,  my mother Heidy, my brothers Derik, 13 and Alan 10.

I am in 8th grade and Alan is in 4th grade.  My father works as a farmer in the fields nearby our house and sometimes as a mason’s assistant. My mother makes tortillas and sells them to our neighbors.

“I have seen my mother cry very often and when I ask her what she has she tells me that nothing, do not worry that everything will be fine.”  It worries me that my mother is sad.  The pandemic is affecting us and my parents do not have enough money to feed the family.

Brayan with his father, mother and 2 brothers at their house in El Sause Sept 2021

In these last months my dad has only worked 2 days a week earning Q50.00 ($6.50) per day and the tortilla business decreased unfortunately because the cost of corn is increasing.  My mom has had some opportunities to do domestic trades in other people’s homes and that has served to meet some needs in our home but she only makes Q45  ($6) a day.  It’s not enough to meet all of the family expenses.