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 Indians who inhabit this area trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization. They normally speak an Indian 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 Silverio Mendez Chingo. I was born on April 22, 2018, in Zacualpa Quiche town. I am now 6 years old. This year I attend kindergarten. I like cows. My hobby is playing soccer. My favorite color is red. The food I love the most is fried chicken. I have two brothers. Thankfully, my family and I are in good health. My father´s name is Pedro Mendez Garcia. He works hard to provide for our family; he usually goes to work on the coast for two months and does any type of work. Then, he stays at home for a month and then, he returns to the coast. My mother´s name is Micaela Chingo Gomez. She stays busy with the chores, and she also raises hens and pigs. She also grows tomatoes, husk tomatoes and beans to sell to get income.

We attend the Church of Christ. My mother is the owner of the house in which we live; there is only one room, we sleep and cook inside. It is entirely made of tin, walls and roof and a dirt floor. We do not have running water or electricity; we use candles to get light and get water from a nearby river. What we need most at home is to build another room, a kitchen and get electricity. We pray to our Lord to provide us with the resources to be able to do so. I am very happy to be registered at the feeding program and I must walk 30 minutes to get there. I hope you like my letter. Every kind of blessing is over you!

Bunch of hugs,

Silverio Mendez Chingo

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