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 Mayans who inhabit this area trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization. They normally speak a Mayan 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 Camilo Pastor Mendez. My birthdate is October 31, 2018, which makes me 5 years of age now. Due to my young age, I am not attending school yet. Most of the time I enjoy playing with my toy cars. I like the color black, and my favorite animal is the hen. I love eating rice and noodles. Thank God, I am in good health and so is my family. I have one little sister. My mother´s name is Sabina Pastor Mendez. She usually does the chores and raises hens and two pigs at home. She also goes to work cleaning houses to get income. Sadly, my father abandoned my mother when she was pregnant, and he did not want to legally recognize me. We know that he is a farmer, but we do not receive any support from him.

We are members of the Assembly of God Church. Since we do not have our own house, we are living in my uncle´s house. My uncles and grandparents also live there. Our room is made of adobe walls with a roof made of tin sheets and a floor that is just dirt. We do not have running water or electricity; we use candles to get light and bring water from a stream. Our greatest needs are groceries and clothes. I walk 20 minutes to get to the feeding program. This time the Living Water staff collected this information personally for the record, and my mother Sabina Pastor provided it. This is all for now. Every blessing to you

With much love,

Camilo Pastor Mendez

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