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 Manuel Luis Angel de la Cruz Garcia. I was born in Zacualpa Quiche on December 22, 2016, and I am 7 years old. This year I am attending 1^st grade at school. I enjoy playing ball in my free time. I like animals and my favorite one is the cat. My favorite color is black. I love eating eggs. My mother´s name is Marcela Garcia Calachij. She is a weaver and makes typical items to sell and additionally, she raises hens and two goats.  My father´s name is Isabel de la Cruz Barrera. He works both as a farmer and day laborer in our village to support our family´s needs. Thanks to God, we are in good health.

We attend the Catholic Church. We live in our property; there are three rooms and one is used as a kitchen. The house is made of adobe, a tin roof and a cement floor. We get water from a natural spring and bring it home with the help of a hose; to get light we have a solar panel. As a family, we are in need of groceries and corn. It is a great blessing for me to be part of the feeding program even though I must walk two hours to get to the program, I like to go. This is all for now. I hope to hear news from you very soon. Every kind of blessings over you!

Lots of love,

Manuel Luis Angel de la Cruz Garcia

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