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! My name is Brendi Carly Paola Lux Morente. My birthdate is May 17, 2019, which makes me 5 years of age now. Since I am very young, I am not attending school yet. For now, I spend my time playing with my dolls. I like chicks and my favorite color is pink. I love all types of food. I live happily with my mother, stepfather and two sisters. My biological father´s name is Marcos Lux Riz. However, he abandoned my mother when my mother was pregnant of me. My mother´s name is Maria Morente Simaj. She usually does the chores at home and she also raises hens and pigs. I have a stepfather; he is Mr. Miguel Gutierrez Simaj. He does farm work and also goes to work on the coast; thankfully, he supports us financially. My whole family travels to work on the coast at the end of the year for three months to pick coffee beans for additional income.

By the grace of God, we are doing well. We are members of the Church of Christ. We live in my maternal grandparents’ house; there are three rooms made of adobe with a tin roof and a dirt floor. We have a separate kitchen. There is running water but no electricity; we use candles to get light, and my parents and grandparents pay for the water once a year. What we need the most at home are groceries and clothes. I usually walk 40 minutes to get to the feeding program and I go alongside with my aunt. Thank you for reading my information. Every blessing for you!

Lots of love,

Brendi Carly Paola Lux Morente

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