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.

 I am Cristiano Ronaldo Hernandez Rodriguez, and I am 11 years old. I was born on October 31st, 2013 in Zacualpa, Quiche. I have to walk for 30 minutes with my friends to arrive at the feeding program. I am in second grade at school and I am repeating the grade. My hobby is playing soccer, and my favorite color is white. My favorite animal is the rabbit, and my favorite dish is fried chicken. My father´s name is Felix Hernandez Simaj. My mother´s name is Basilia Rodriguez Hernadez. My parents separated one year ago and we do not know about my father. He has been an alcoholic, and many times, he hit my mom and us too. My mother works in a tortilleria (Place where they make tortillas) in Quiche. She travels every two months to visit us in Chuchuca. While my mother is in Quiche, my sister Veronica takes care of us. My mother also washes clothes for her neighbors to the earn some money. I have 7 brothers and 3 sisters. We are members of Assembly of God Church.

We live on my cousin´s land. He loans it to us, and we have only one room. We don´t have a kitchen. We cook in the yard. The room is made of tin sheet roof and tin sheet walls with dirt floor. We don´t have running water or electricity. We bring water from the spring, and we use candles at night. We don´t have any domestic animals. As you can see, there are a lot of us. My mother does her best to earn money and give us the necessities, but it is difficult for her. We have many needs and some of them are groceries and corn. My siblings and I are very happy to be part of the feeding program. For now, I say bye but I wish you many blessings in your life. May God bless you all!

Best wishes,

Cristian Ronaldo Hernandez Rodriguez

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