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.

It is a pleasure to greet you in the name of Jesus. My name is Cesia Rosita Chingo Garcia. I was born in a village called Chuchuca on February 3rd, 2020. I am 6 years old. My mother’s name is Florinda Garcia Ajqui. She is a weaver and stays home taking care of me and my siblings and does the housework. She works very hard at home. My father’s name is Israel Chingo Ajqui. He works as a security officer in Guatemala City. I have one sister and one brother. We are members of the Prince of Peace church. By the grace of God, we are in good health. We live in my paternal grandmother´s house. There are two rooms, but we only use one of them. We have a separate kitchen. It is made of adobe walls, tin sheet roof and dirt floor. We do not have our own water, but one of our neighbors sells it to us, and my parents pay 200.00Q = 26.11$ per year. We are a family with many needs, but the greatest are groceries. My sister and I walk around one hour to get to the feeding program.

I love my family and spending time with my sister playing with dolls. My favorite color is yellow and I love sheep. I have one favorite food which is spaghetti. At school I am in kindergarten and I like attending school. I hope you liked my letter; I am sending much love. I will leave you now, but I hope to hear your story soon. Have a great day!

Best wishes,

Cesia Rosita Chingo Garcia

Translated by: Magnolia Gómez / AAC Secretary-Guatemala