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! This is Marta Herlinda Mendez Gutierrez. I was born on March 17, 2019, and I am 4 years old. I am still not attending school because of my young age. I love cats, and the color I like is pink. I love eating scrambled eggs. My hobby is playing with my dolls. I am thrilled to have a baby sister! I cannot wait for her to grow up and play with me. I live happily with my parents, one brother and one sister. By the grace of God, we are in good health. My father´s name is David Mendez Gomez. He struggles to support our family; he works as a construction helper. My mother’s name is Estela Gutierrez Riz. Most of the time she does the housework and recently, she gave birth my little sister.

We are a Catholic family. Since we do not have our own house, my grandma is giving a place to live in her house. There are living two of my uncles too. The two rooms are made of wooden board walls with a roof made of tin sheets and a floor that is just dirt. The kitchen is separated. There is running water but no electricity, so we use lamps to get light. We do the water payment once per year, Q70.00 = $10.00. At the moment, we are in need of groceries and soap. I walk about one hour to get to the feeding program. My grandma Francisca Riz provided my personal information to the Living Water staff for my registration in the program. I say goodbye to you for now. Many and rich blessings!

With much love,

Marta Herlinda Mendez Gutierrez

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