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 Walter Rodriguez Gutierrez. I was born on June 4, 2016, and I am 7 years old. I am in 1^st grade this year. The color I like is blue and my favorite animal is the rabbit. Rice and noodles are what I love to eat. Playing football is my hobby. Fortunately, I am in good health and so is my family. I have two sisters. My father is Miguel Rodriguez Riz. He works by tending a grocery store in Guatemala City, and he goes to pick coffee beans on the coast too. He does his best to supply our needs, and most of the time he is away from home. My mother is Olivia Gutierrez Chingo. Most of the time she stays busy with the chores at home.

We are members of the Church of Christ. We are living in my paternal grandmother´s house; she is living there and also some uncles are living there. There are two adobe rooms with tile roofs and a floor that is just dirt. We have running water but no electricity, so we use candles to get light. The running water is only one payment every year. We are in need of groceries, corn and a bed. The feeding program is located one hour away from my home, and I get there by walking. This time the Living Water staff collected this information personally for the record, and my aunt Paula Chingo provided it. Sending much love. May God bless you!

Warm regards,

Walter Rodriguez Gutierrez

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