My Story

Chuchuca, where your child lives, is an area located high on the side of a mountain in the state of Quiche, 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 Quiche Mayans who inhabit this area trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization. They normally speak a Mayan dialect called Quiche - however, Spanish is becoming more common. Very little money ever changes hands in this area as they live on a barter system.

Hello and many blessings to you and your loved ones. I am so excited to be able to write this biography. It makes me so happy to be able to share some information about me. My name is Macaria Dayana Morente Barrera. I am five years old now and I go to school in pre-kinder. My birthdate is July 2, 2020. I love playing with dolls, and my favorite color is pink. I love cats and my favorite food is beans with eggs. I live with my parents Pablo Morente Chingo and Juana Barrera Ruiz, my sister Lincy Cecilia and my brother Nazario Ottoniel in my paternal grandfather’s house. By the grace of God, we are a healthy family. My father travels to the coast and works there, he comes to visit us every 4 months. His job consists of picking coffee and cleaning the land before planting more coffee. He helps us economically. While my father is there, my mother dedicates herself to taking care of us and raising hens and pigs to sell and help with the income at home.  Our house is very humble, but it is our home. There are two rooms in the house, and a separate kitchen. We also have lights and running water.

My parents do not pay for the running water, because my grandfather gives it to us, but they do help to pay for lights. Our house is made of adobe walls, with a tile roof and dirt floors. We have some domestic animals like hens, turkeys and pigs. We must walk to the feeding program to get there each week. It takes us about 5 minutes to get there. I have loved going to the program and I am so grateful to be able to be a part of it. I love the delicious food they serve us. We attend an Assembly of God Church, and it is a great blessing for us as a family. I want to be honest with you; we are a humble family and our greatest need is groceries. But I continue trusting in God and He has provided for us. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my information today. I hope you liked it, and I want to tell you that it makes me so happy to think that someone could be thinking about me. I pray many blessings over you and your loved ones.  

Hugs and kisses,

Macaria Dayana Morente Barrera

Translated by: Magnolia Gómez, AAC Secretary/Guatemala