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 Carlos Mendez Gutierrez. I am so happy to introduce myself to you. Moreover, I will share something about my family and our house. My mother helped me to give all the information to you. I was born on January 6, 2021. I am 4 years old. I am not attending school yet because of my age. I like to play toy cars, and my favorite color is black. I love cats and I like to eat fried chicken. I will start by telling something about my family. My father´s name is David Mendez Gomez. He is a day laborer and farmer. He also travels to the coast at the end of the year, and he stays there for two months. My mother´s name is Estela Gutierrez Riz. She is a housewife, and she raises some hens for selling. I have one brother and one sister.

My parent, siblings and I attend Catholic Church. My sister Marta is enrolled in the feeding program too and we walk around one hour and a half to get there. Thank God, all of us enjoy good health. We live in my maternal grandparent´s house. They live there too, but we do not share expenses. The house has one room and a separate kitchen. It is made of wooden board walls, tin sheet roof and dirt floor. We have running water but no electricity. We use candles at night. We have a special petition and it is that God will provide us with our own house. Please help us to pray for this. I look forward to sharing more next time. Take care!

With love,

Carlos Mendez Gutierrez

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