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 corps. 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.

I am pleased to be able to greet you and tell you about myself. My full name is Silvia Veronica Ordonez Mechen. I was born on March 1, 2013, and I am now 12 years old. This year I am repeating 5^th grade at school. I like to spend my time weaving typical blouses. I love the color red, and the animal I like the most is the pig. My favorite meal is beef broth. I live with my mom, one brother and two sisters. I am so happy because we are all doing well. My father is not in my life because he abandoned us and did not want to be responsible for me; that is the reason I have only my mother’s last name. My mother´s first couple abandoned her with my two older siblings, and the second couple abandoned her with one child. My mother’s name is Juana Ordonez Mechen. She weaves typical blouses to sell and goes to pick coffee beans on the coast for three months once a year. My siblings and I go with her to the coast. My older brother, Cesar, works as a farmer and day laborer and helps us with the home expenses. We raise hens and a pig. My grandpa used to help us, but he is now 65 years old.

We are members of the Catholic Church. We do not have our own house, but fortunately, one of my maternal uncles has allowed us to live in his house. My grandparents and my uncles live there too. There is one room and a kitchen. It is a humble house made of adobe with a tile roof and a dirt floor. We have running water and electricity; The water is a yearly payment, and the electricity is a monthly payment. For now, our greatest needs are groceries and school support. I am so thankful to be enrolled at the feeding program. I attend alongside my siblings, and we walk 45 minutes to arrive. I have to say goodbye now, but I want to thank you so much for reading about me. Many and abundant blessings for you!

Lots of love,

Silvia Veronica Ordonez Mechen

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