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 Jose Norberto Morente Morente. My birthdate is December 4, 2013, and I am now 10 years old. At school I attend third grade. I enjoy playing football with my friends. I like animals and my favorite one is sheep. My favorite color is green. The tastiest food for me is beef. I live happily with my parents; I have two brothers and five sisters. My father´s name is Norberto Morente Ruiz. He works both as a farmer and day laborer to supply the family´s needs. My mother´s name is Catarina Morente Luis. She usually stays at home and does the housework and raises hens and ducks. I want to tell you that my father suffers from back pain and for now, he is taking pills for the pain. Sadly, my mother suffered from facial paralysis and she does not take any medicines due to a lack of resources. At the moment, my siblings and I are doing well.

Thank God, my parents are the owners of the house in which we live; there is only one room made of adobe, a tin roof and a dirt floor. We have a small kitchen outside. There is electricity but no running water; we get water from my aunt´s house, and my parents pay for the electricity every month. For now, our essential needs are a bed and clothes. I like to go to the feeding program and I walk 30 minutes to get there. We are members of the Prince of Peace Church. This is all for now. Every kind of blessings over you!

With much love,

Jose Norberto Morente Morente

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