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 crops. 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.

It is a pleasure to greet you in the name of Jesus. My name is Roselia Paulina Toj Garcia. I was born in Zacualpa Quiche on June 25^th, 2020.  I am 5 years. I live with my mother Estela Garcia de la Cruz and my siblings; I have two brothers and two sisters. Unfortunately, my father abandoned us three years ago. He works as a mason. We have communication with him, but he does not help us economically.  My mother struggles a lot to give us the necessities. She works washing clothes for other people and she weaves typical sashes to sell.  About our health, my mother suffers from pain in her arms, legs and back. Sadly, she has not had any treatment for lack of economic resources. She just buys pills at the pharmacy when she feels bad.  My siblings and I are in good health. We are members of the Assembly of God Church. At school, I am pre-kinder. I like playing with my dolls and toy dishes. My favorite color is pink and I love hens. I love to eat hard boiled eggs with strained beans and rice.

We live in a house with two rooms and a separate kitchen. It is made of wooden and adobe walls, tin sheet roof and dirt floor. It was built on my grandmother´s land. Now, my father´s family wants to evict us from our house because he is no longer with us. We have running water and electricity. My mother pays for running water every year and the electricity every month. We raise some animals like: hens, chickens and pigs and we sell them when they are grown. It helps us a little bit economically.  We have many needs, and some of them are groceries and clothes. We pray that God will be our provider. Thank you very much for reading my story. I am sending many blessings to you and your loved ones.

Lots of hugs,

Roselia Paulina Toj Garcia

Translated by: Magnolia Gómez, AAC Secretary/Guatemala