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.

My name is Yony Wilson Otoniel Gomez De La Cruz. I was born on October 31, 2020. I am 4 years old. I am not attending school yet because of my age. I spend my free time playing soccer and toy cars. I love the color blue, and I like cats. My favorite meal is fried eggs. Thank God, my family and I are in good health. My father´s name is Jose Gomez Grave. He works as a day laborer, and he travels to the coast to cut cane. He travels from November to February. My mother´s name is Estela De La Cruz Garcia. She is a housewife and from time to time she sells some hens to earn some money to contribute with the expenses at home. I have one sister. We live in our own property; it has one room and a kitchen. My grandmother lives with us.  The house is made of wood walls, tin sheet roof and dirt floor. We have running water and pay it every year but we do not have electricity. We use candles to light the house. We walk around 15 minutes to get to the feeding program. It is a great blessing for my family and me to be registered in the program. We are members of Christ Church. As a family, our greatest needs are groceries. Thank you for taking the time to read my personal information.

Many hugs,

Yony Wilson Otoniel Gomez De La Cruz

Translated by: Magnolia De Torres / A-A-C Secretary-Antigua Guatemala