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 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.

Hello! I am Wilson Daniel Mechen Tipaz. My birthdate is June 13^th of 2017, which makes me 7 years of age now. This year I attend first grade at school, and I like to do my homework. I love cats and my favorite color is blue. The meal I love is rice with eggs. I enjoy playing football. I live with my mother and three sisters. Thankfully, my family and I are healthy. My father´s name is Sebastian Mechen Calachij. He washes dishes in a restaurant, he lives and works in the United States. He keeps in touch with us and sends us monthly support. My mother´s name is Rosario Tipaz Calva. She usually does the housework and takes care of my sisters and me. She raises hens and pigs. Our pets are a dog and a cat.

We attend the Prince of Peace Church. Thankfully, my father is the owner of the house in which we live in; there are three rooms made of adobe, a tin roof and a floor that is just dirt. The kitchen is separate. We have running water, and my mother pays for it every year. But we do not have electricity, so we use candles and lamps to get light. The essential needs at home are groceries and clothes. I must walk one hour to get to the feeding program; it is a great blessing for me to be registered in the program. I hope you like to read my information. Many blessings over you!

Warm hugs,

Wilson Daniel Mechen Tipaz

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