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.

I am Dominga Gabriela Gutierrez Chingo, and I am 8 years old. I was born on August 13th, 2017, in Joyabaj, Quiche. I must walk for 30 minutes, accompanied by my mother, to arrive at the feeding program; I have one sister.  At school, I am in second grade. My hobby is weaving typical clothes. I love cats, and my favorite dish is fried chicken. I love the color red. My father´s name is Pedro Gutierrez Pablo. My mother´s name is Elsa Chingo Chingo. My parents struggle a lot at home to give us the necessities. My father works as farmer and a day laborer, and when he travels to the coast, he cuts coffee beans. My mother is a housewife, and she weaves typical girdles. About our health, two years ago my father fell off a wall, and at the hospital, they had to put a plate in his heel so he has discomfort when he walks. I was born cross-eyed and when I am under the sun I feel pain in my right eye.  I have never visited any doctor for lack of economic recourses.

We live in my maternal aunt’s house. We have two rooms. We do not have a separate kitchen; we use a little space in the corridor to cook. It is made of wooden and adobe walls, tile roof and dirt floor. Thanks to God, we have running water and my parents pay it every year. We do not have electricity; we use candles or solar light to brighten the house. We have some animals like hens.  We have many needs and some of them are groceries. I ask for your prayers for me and my family so that we can continue to trust in the power of God over our circumstances. I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking your time to read a little bit of my history.

Best wishes,

Dominga Gabriela Gutierrez Chingo

Translated by: Magnolia Gómez, AAC Secretary/Guatemala