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, my name is Erika Gomez Simaj. I was born on November 5th, 2016 in Zacualpa, Quiche, and I am 8 years old. I am a healthy girl. I am in second grade at school. My favorite color is green, and I love rabbits. I spend my spare time playing with my sisters and I like doing my homework. My favorite food is beans with eggs.

I want to tell you a little bit about my family. I live with my parents and my six siblings. I have three brothers and three sisters. Four of them are enrolled in the feeding program too, and we feel very blessed. My father´s name is Santos Gomez Garcia. He works as a day laborer and helps the family economically. My mother´s name is Hilda Simaj Grave and she does the chores at home. By the grace of God, we are in good health. As a family, we attend Christ Church.  The house in which we live is not our own. It is one that belongs to my paternal grandfather.

An aunt lives there too. It has two rooms and a separate kitchen. The house is made of adobe walls with tin sheet roof and dirt floor. We don´t have running water at home, so we get it with a hose from the river. Thanks to God, we have electricity, and my father pays it every month. As a humble family, our needs are groceries and clothes. We have some hens, pigs and cats at home. We walk around 30 minutes to get to the feeding program. We enjoy being part of it. It is all for now. Thank you very much for reading my little history.

Big hugs and blessings,

Erika Gomez Simaj

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