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 Maynor Yobani Tiquiram Toj. I was born in Zacualpa Quiche on June 21, 2020, and I am already 4 years old. Since I am still too young, I am not attending school yet. So, I enjoy playing with my toy cars at home. I like chicks, they are so cute. My favorite color is blue. The tastiest food for me is fried chicken. I live happily with my parents and four sisters. My family and I are in good health, by the grace of God. My father´s name is Silverio Tiquiram Garcia. He does farm work and day labor to provide for our home needs. My mother´s name is Santos Toj Gutierrez. She is a weaver and makes typical blouses to sell and get income. Moreover, she raises hens and turkeys.

We attend the Prince of Peace Church. We are living in my maternal grandmother´s house; we share the house with my grandparents. There are two rooms and we use only one; the kitchen is separate. The house is made of wooden boards, a tin roof and a dirt floor. We do not have water or electricity; we use candles to get light, and one of our neighbors shares water with us and we do not pay anything for it. We are a very humble family and we are in need of groceries. I like to attend the feeding program, sometimes, my mother takes me and other times I go with my older siblings. We walk 30 minutes to arrive there. Thank you for reading my information. I pray to our Lord continues blessing you!

Bunch of hugs,

Maynor Yobani Tiquiram Toj

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