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 Bayron Alexander Barrera Riz and I will share some information about me. I was born in Zacualpa, Guatemala on November 17, 2019, and I will turn 6 years old this November. Because of my young age, I do not attend school yet. For now, I spend my time playing soccer. I love the color blue and hens. I like to eat fried chicken. I live with my mother, my step-father, one brother and two sisters. My biological father abandoned my mother and I do not know about him. My step-father is Domingo Garcia. He has lived with us for 4 years. He works as a farmer, and thank God, he helps with our expenses.  My mother´s name is Maria Barrera Riz. She works as a day laborer and a farmer, and she weaves typical blouses. The money that she earns helps with the expenses at home. We travel to the coast three months each year. We go from November to January to work there. We live in a rented house. It has one room and we do not have a kitchen. We cook in the same room in which sleep. It is made of wood walls, tin sheet roof and dirt floor. There is no running water and no electricity. We bring water in buckets from the river and we use candles to light the room. We have some hens. We are a very need family and some of our needs are groceries. I go to the feeding program with my sister and we walk one hour and a half to get there. It is a greatest blessing to be part of the feeding program. Thank you for taking a part of your time to read a little about my history.

In Jesus Love,

Bayron Alexander Barrera Riz

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