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 Paula Esmeralda Mechen Tipaz. I was born in Zacualpa Quiche on June 15, 2022, and I will turn 3 years old this year. I don´t attend school yet because I am a little boy. I like to play with my dolls. My favorite color is purple and the animal I love the most is the cat. I am so happy eating rice, beans and sausage. I want to introduce my family. I live with my mother, one brother and two sisters. My father is in The United States. He traveled there one year ago. His name is Sebastian Mechen Calachij and he works washing dishes in a restaurant. Thanks to God, he sends us money each month. My mother´s name is Rosario Tipaz Calva. She takes care of us and sometimes sells domestic animals to help with the expenses at home. She raises hens, ducks, pigs and turkeys. My father and siblings are in good health but my mother isn´t. She had a surgery because the doctors told her that she had water in her left lung. She also suffered four strokes. Actually, she suffers from her nerves and headaches. She doesn´t have a treatment for lack of economic resources. I ask for your prayers for her because is suffers a lot. We trust in God that he can do a miracle in her life. We attend Prince of Peace Church.

We live in our own house. It has two rooms and a separated kitchen. It is made of adobe walls, tin sheet roof and dirt floor. We have running water and my parents pay it each year. We don´t have electricity. We use candles to light the house. We have many needs such as groceries and electricity. Thanks to God, two of my siblings are enrolled in the feeding program too. We walk around one hour to get there. Thank you for reading a little bit of my history. Many blessings for all!

With much love,

Paula Esmeralda Mechen Tipaz

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