My Story

Chuchuca, where your child lives, is an area located high on the side of a mountain in the state of Quiché, Guatemala. Life in this area is very difficult and very isolated from the outside world.  It is more than a two hour walk to the nearest market town of Zacualpa.  Chuchuca is a farming area where corn and black beans, the staple elements in their diet, are the major corps. The Quiché Indians who inhabit this area trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization. They normally speak an Indian dialect called Quiché - however, Spanish is becoming more common. Very little money ever changes hands in this area as they live on a barter system.

Now, I would like to tell you some personal things about my life. My name is Amelia Migdalia Bautista Riz and I was born on May 13, 2016 in Zacualpa. I live in Chuchuca together with my parents German and Felipa, 5 brothers and 2 sisters. I am a healthy girl, and I do not attend school yet since I am still young. I spend my time at home, and I enjoy playing dolls and teddies. My favorite color is blue, and I like sheep. I love to eat rice and eggs. My whole family attends the Prince of Peace Pentecost Church. My father supports us by working as a farmer or day laborer. Besides that, he travels to the coast for the coffee harvest and does all kinds of work with the plantation such as cleaning, pruning, fertilizing etc. My mother does the household chores and also looks after the sheep that we have. Besides that, we also have chickens, one pig, two dogs and one cat at home. Thank God, we own a house which is made of adobe walls with a tin sheet roof and dirt floor. There are two rooms, one kitchen and no bathroom. At nights, we usually use gas lamps and get our water with jars from a source that is 15 minutes away from home. My mother washes our clothes there for winter, and in summer; we go to a river that is one hour away. I enjoy attending the feeding program together with my siblings, and we walk for one hour and a half to arrive. Unfortunately, we are not attending now since it is closedd due to the pandemic. Thank you very much for your time. I hope to tell you more next time.

With lots of love,

Amelia Migdalia Bautista Riz

Translated by: Mireya Barahona de Sandoval, AAC Secretary / Antigua