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 Sebastian Dani Ixparpuac Gutierrez. My birthdate is August 3, 2018, which makes me 5 years of age now. Because of my young age, I am still not attending school this year. For now, I spend my time playing with toy cars. I like pigs, and my favorite color is orange. I love eating fried eggs. I live with my mother, one sister and one brother. By the grace of God, my family and I are doing well. My father´s name is Samuel Ixparpuac Lopez. He left for the United States four years ago. He works in a milk factory, sends us money to supply our needs, and calls us daily. My mother´s name is Santos Gutierrez Chingo de Ixparpuac. She does the housework and takes care of my siblings and me. She also raises hens and pigs.

We attend the Assembly of God Church. Fortunately, we live on our property and my maternal grandparents and one aunt are living with us. There are two rooms made of adobe walls with a roof made of tin sheets and a floor that is just dirt. We have running water but not electricity; one of our relatives shares electricity with us. My mother pays for the water service once per year. For now, the priorities need are groceries, corn and clothes. I live near the feeding program, and I arrive there in 10 minutes. This time the Living Water staff collected this information personally for the record, and my mother Santos Gutierrez provided it. This is all for now. May God bless you wherever you are!

Bunch of hugs,

Sebastian Dani Ixparpuac Gutierrez

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