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.

Special regards! I am Alejandro Simon Riz and it is such a blessing to share my information with you. I was born on November 21, 2015. Fortunately, I am in good health and I am in third grade. I have a lot of fun drawing. My favorite color is blue. I like cows, and my favorite food is fried chicken. The with whom I live are my parents and four siblings. I have three brothers and one sister. We all together attend the Catholic Church. My father’s name is Rolando Simon Ortiz and he is doing well. He makes a living as a day laborer, while my mother keeps busy as a housewife. Her name is Dominga Riz Chingo and she also sells chickens and pigs that she raises herself to help cover our needs. Most of them are groceries. Please pray for her since she suffers from bad headaches, but she has not gone to the doctor because of a lack of money. We live in our own two-room house with a separate kitchen, running water, but no electricity. Therefore, we use candles at night. I am so happy to attend the feeding program. I usually walk for one hour from my house to get there. It is time to say goodbye, but I hope to hear from you soon.

Lots of love,

Alejandro Simon Riz

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Guatemala