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 Manuela Mendez Garcia. My birthdate is July 13, 2016, and I am 8 years old. I am healthy and so is my family. At school, I am in first grade and I am repeating my grade. At the moment, I spend my time playing football. My favorite color is pink, and I like hens. The food I like the most is fried chicken. I want to introduce my family. My father´s name is Baldomero Mendez Mechen. He works as a day laborer and a farmer. For the end of the year, he travels to the coast to cut coffee beans. He stays there for three months. My mother´s name is Dominga Garcia Mendez and she is a housewife. I have four brothers and one sister and two of my brothers are enrolled in the feeding program too. We are very happy to be part of the feeding program. We walk one hour and a half to get there.

We are members of the Prince of Peace Church. We live in our own house. It has two rooms and we use one of them. We have a separated kitchen. It is made of adobe walls, tin sheet roof and dirt floor. We do not have running water, so we obtain it with a hose from the river. Thanks to God, we have electricity; my father pays it monthly. At home we raise some hens. Our economic situation is very difficult because my father does not earn enough in spite of his effort. We have many needs but the greatest is groceries. I ask for your prayers for God to continue to be our provider. Thank you very much for taking your time to read my little letter.

With love,

Manuela Mendez Garcia

Translated by: Magnolia De Torres / A-A-C Secretary-Antigua Guatemala