My Story

Chuchuca, where your child lives, is an area located high on the side of a mountain in the state of Quiche, 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 corps. The Quiche Mayans who inhabit this area trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization. They normally speak a Mayan dialect called Quiche - however, Spanish is becoming more common. Very little money ever changes hands in this area as they live on a barter system.

Hello! My full name is Cristina Calachij Garcia, and I am so happy to share a little about my life with you through this letter. Fortunately, I am a healthy 11-year-old girl. I was born on February 20, 2014. I am in third grade at school. My favorite color is purple. I love dogs, and I have a lot of fun playing with dolls. My favorite food is fried chicken. Now, let me tell you about my family. My father’s name is Adan Calachij Garcia. He traveled to the United States about a year and a half ago. He works in a sawmill operating a machine to make sawdust. I kindly ask you to pray for my family. Unfortunately, my father has problems with alcohol and only occasionally communicates with us. Besides that, we have a debt that we are paying little by little with the money that my father sends us every three weeks. However, we have trouble obtaining our needs like food and cleaning supplies. Therefore, my mom raises and sells chickens and pigs to contribute to the expenses. Her name is Rogelia Garcia Garcia. She also keeps busy doing the chores and taking care of my siblings and me. I have two brothers and three sisters.

My family and I attend a Christian Church called Assembly of God. We live with my grandparents at their house. We share the expenses with them. They are my relatives on my mother’s side. My grandparents' house is made of wood with a tin sheet roof and a dirt floor. It has one room and a separate kitchen. There is no electricity or running water at home. However, we use a hose to get water from a nearby stream and use candles to see at night. I am so happy because I am already part of the feeding program. To get there, my oldest sister and I have to walk for about 30 minutes. It is time to say goodbye, but I hope you found my information engaging. My mom helped me share it with a staff member of LW. Until next time!

Kisses and hugs,

Cristina Calachij Garcia

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala