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 Yesica Paola De la Cruz Garcia. My birthdate is Oct 19, 2019, which makes me 5 years of age now. Due to my young age, I am not attending school yet. For now, I enjoy playing with my stuffed toys and dolls. I love animals and my favorite ones are rabbits. My favorite color is black. The food I love the most is black beans with cheese. The tastiest food for me is fried chicken. I live with my parents; I have two brothers and one sister. My father´s name is Tomas Efrain De La Cruz Chingo. He is a farmer and he also goes to weed the coffee plantations. My mother´s name is Rosa Garcia Mendez. She usually stays busy with the chores, and she also raises hens and pigs. She does not go to the coast to because she takes care of my siblings and me. Thankfully, my family and I are doing well.

We attend the Prince of Peace Church. The house in which we live belongs to my maternal aunt, Santa Garcia Mendez. My grandmother is living there also. There are two rooms made of adobe with a tin roof and a dirt floor. The kitchen is a small corner where my mother cooks. There is running water but no electricity; we use lamps to get light, and my parents pay for the water yearly. We are in need of groceries and clothes. I must walk 20 minutes to get to the feeding program; my mother takes me to the program. Thank you for reading my letter. May God bless you wherever you go!

Kisses and hugs,

Yesica Paola De la Cruz Garcia

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