My Story

Chuchuca, where your child lives, is an area located high on the side of a mountain in the state of Quiche, 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 corps. The Quiche Mayans who inhabit this area trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization. They normally speak a Mayan dialect called Quiche - however, Spanish is becoming more common. Very little money ever changes hands in this area as they live on a barter system.

Hello! My full name is Erika Alicia Rodriguez de la Cruz, and I am glad to share a little about my life with you. I was born on April 3, 2015. I am a healthy 10-year-old girl. I am repeating the second grade. I have a lot of fun playing with my youngest sister. We love playing with dolls and stuffed animals. I am a lucky girl because I have one brother and one sister. My favorite color is blue. I love rabbits, and my favorite food is fried chicken. Now, let me tell you about my family. My father’s name is Adelso Rodriguez Riz. He makes a living as a farmer and a day laborer. Sadly, my biological mother is not part of my life. She separated from my father about six years ago and has another family. Her name is Cristina de la Cruz de la Cruz. My father met another woman and brought her to live with us about four years ago. She is my stepmother now and dedicates her time to doing the housework. Her name is Felisa Pastor.

We do not attend any church, but I hope it changes soon. Please pray for my family. We are a low-income family, and most of our needs are food, clothes, and shoes. In addition, our house is in bad condition. It is made of wood with a nylon roof, and a dirt floor. It has one room, a separate kitchen, a solar panel, but no running water. Thankfully, my grandparents help us a little economically and share the water with us. We have some chickens at home for our consumption. Let me tell you that I usually walk for 30 minutes to get to the feeding program from my house. The school is even closer, so I will take advantage to have lunch before coming back home. It is time to say goodbye, but I hope you found my information engaging. My father helped me share it with a staff member.

With much love,

Erika Alicia Rodriguez de la Cruz 

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala