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 corps. 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 so excited to introduce myself in this opportunity! My full name is Esvin Eduardo Portuguez Barrera. I was born on January 27^th of 2016, in Zacualpa, Quiche, Guatemala. I am 9 years old and I am a healthy boy. My father is Rolando Portuguez de la Cruz. He works as a day laborer and only finds three or four days of work weekly; it is affecting our economy. My mother is Matea Barrera Simaj. She is a housewife and raises hens. I have two brothers and two sisters. My mother suffers from frequent headaches and takes natural medicines. As for me, I have heterochromia condition in my left eye and it is hard for me to see very well. Due to our limited resources, my parents have not taken me to the specialist. Besides that, we are fine.

This year I am repeating first grade. I enjoy playing with my toy cars. I love the color blue, and my favorite animal is the cat. My favorite food is fried chicken. My family and I attend Assembly of God Church. The house in which we live belongs to my uncle Israel Barrera, and fortunately, we do not pay for rent. There are two adobe rooms with tin sheet roof and a dirt floor. We use one as a bedroom and the other as a kitchen. We do not have running water or electricity. So, we use candles at night and bring water home from a nearby stream. The greatest needs for us are groceries and clothes. I am very happy to be registered in the Chuchuca feeding program; I get there by walking in one hour and thirty minutes and my sister goes with me. This is all for now. May God bless you!

Hugs with much love,

Esvin Eduardo Portuguez Barrera

Translated by: Violeta Hernandez / A-A-C Secretary-Antigua Guatemala