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 crops. The Quiché Mayans who inhabit this area trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization. They normally speak a Mayan 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.

Hello! My name is Jeremias Adolfo Hernandez Ajqui. I was born on January 29, 2017, and I am 6 years old. This year I am not attending school, and for now, I enjoy playing with my toy cars. The rabbit is my favorite animal, and I like the color blue. I love eating noodles. I am a healthy boy, and fortunately, my family is fine. I have one brother and three sisters. My mother is Maria Maribel Henandez Ajqui. She is a weaver and sells typical items to get income to supply our needs. My grandmother, Isabel Ajqui Portuguez, takes care of me. She works as a day laborer, and she also is part of the WIN program from LW. We raise hens. My mother has a partner now. He works in a grocery store in Guatemala City and comes to visit us every four months; he gives a little economic support to my mother. Nevertheless, we do not know his full name, so we just call him Juan. My biological father is not in my life because he abandoned us and did not legally recognize me.

We attend Methodist Church. We do not have our own house, and fortunately, my grandmother has given us a space to live with her. One uncle lives there too. Our two rooms are made of adobe walls with a roof made of tile and a floor that is just dirt. The kitchen is separate. We have electricity service, and my grandma pays for it each month. We do not have running water, so we get it from a stream with the help of a hose. At the moment, we are in need of groceries and clothes. My maternal grandmother Isabel Ajqui provided my personal information to the Living Water staff for my registration in the program. I leave you for now. Many blessings!

Special regards,

Jeremias Adolfo Hernandez Ajqui 

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