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! This is Eliseo Gomez Garcia. I was born in Zacualpa Quiche on Feb 27, 2017, and I am already 7 years old. This is my first year at school and I am in 1^st grade. My hobby is playing football. I love cats and my favorite color is red. The tastiest food for me is fried chicken. I live with my parents; I have four brothers and two sisters. My father´s name is Encarnacion Gomez Mendez. He works hard to provide for our family; he usually does farm and day labor work. My mother´s name is Maria Garcia Garcia. She is a housewife, and she raises hens and sheep to sell to get more income. Thankfully, my family and I are healthy.

We attend the Catholic Church. My mother is the owner of the house in which we live; there are three rooms and the kitchen is separate. The house is made of blocks, a terrace and a granite floor. There is running water and electricity; my father pays for those services. As a family our essential needs are groceries. I like to attend the feeding program and I walk only 5 minutes to get there. This is all for now. May God bless you abundantly!

Bunch of hugs,

Eliseo Gomez Garcia

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