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! My name is Mateo Armando Mendez Garcia. I was born on May 7, 2015, and I am an 8-year-old healthy boy. This year I am repeating 1^st grade. The color red is my favorite, and the quetzal which is the national symbol of Guatemala is the animal I like the most. The meal I love is fried chicken. I enjoy playing ball with my siblings and friends. I have four brothers and two sisters; we all are fine. My father is Juan Mendez Luis. He works as both a farmer and a day laborer to supply the family´s needs. My mother is Aquilina Garcia Gomez. She is a housewife, raises hens, and takes care of my siblings and me.

We are members of the Prince of Peace Church. We do not have our own house; thankfully, one of my mother's brothers has loaned us his house. There are two rooms made of adobe walls with a roof made of tin sheets and a floor that is just dirt. The kitchen is separated, and it is made of wooden boards with a tin sheet roof. There is running water and electricity; my uncle pays for those services. As a family our greatest needs are groceries and corn. I live near the feeding program, and I just walk 8 minutes to get there. My mother Aquilina Garcia provided my personal information to the Living Water staff for my registration in the program. I leave you for now, but I hope to receive news from you very soon. Many blessings!

Lots of love,

Mateo Armando Mendez Garcia

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