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.

Hello! I am so happy to greet you through this letter. My name is Elias Ruiz Ruiz and I will tell you a little bit about my life. I was born on June 1, 2022. Because of my young age, I still do not attend school. My favorite pastime is playing soccer. I am in good health and I love eating edible herbs. My favorite color is orange and I like cows. I live with my mother and siblings. I have two brothers and one sister, and they are all enrolled at the feeding program. We usually walk for 25 minutes from where we live to get there. My mother usually accompanies us. Her name is Ana Ruiz Ruiz. She is a single parent and works hard by selling chickens, pigs, and sheep that she raises herself to support our family.

My mother suffers from arthritis, but she does not take any medicine due to a lack of resources. We live in our own house, which has only one room. Therefore, we have our bedroom and kitchen in the same space. There is no electricity or running water either, but fortunately, we can get water from a nearby river by using plastic vessels. We use candles at night to illuminate the house. We do not attend church at the moment, but I hope we can do it soon. To end this letter, I want to open my heart and tell you that my father did not recognize me legally because he abandoned my mother and me. He has another family. Please pray for my whole family, especially for my mother so that God helps her to guide us and cover our needs. Most of them are groceries, clothes, and shoes.

Sincerely yours,

Elias Ruiz Ruiz

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Guatemala