My Story

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

Hello! This is Oscar Geovany Chingo Mendez. I was born on November 26, 2013. This November I turn 11 years old. At school I attend 4^th grade. My hobby is playing football. I like cows, and my favorite color is red. Fried chicken is my favorite meal. My mother is Paula Mendez Garcia. She is a weaver and helps my father to sustain our family; however, she is having pain in one of her arms. She has not visited a doctor yet. She also raises hens and pigs. My father is Angel Chingo Gomez; he works both as a farmer and day laborer to provide our needs. Nevertheless, if he does not find a job it affects us economically. I am doing well. My father and brother are fine too.

My family and I are members of the Church of Christ. Thankfully, my parents are the owners of the house in which we live in. We have two rooms made of adobe, a tile roof and a dirt floor. We do not have running water, so we get it from a river with the help of a hose. We get electricity from the house of one of our neighbors who is sharing it with us; we pay a part of the bill every month. As a family, we have gone through difficulties in the financial area since it is very hard for my father to find a job. He wants to improve the floor of the house, and we pray to our Lord to provide the resources to do it soon. I am very happy to be registered in the feeding program; I walk 30 minutes to arrive there. I appreciate that you read my information, and I hope to receive news from you very soon. Many and abundant blessings on you!

Bunch of hugs,

Oscar Geovany Chingo Mendez

Translated by: Violeta Hernandez / A-A-C Secretary-Antigua Guatemala