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! It is a big privilege to share a little about my life with you. My name is Ana Chingo De La Cruz, and I want you to know that my mom helped me share all this information with a staff member of LW. I was born on May 14, 2021. I am 4 years old and still do not attend school. I stay home and play with my siblings. I have one brother and one sister. What I enjoy the most is playing with my dolls. My favorite color is pink, and I love having fried chicken for my meals. By the grace of the Lord, my whole family and I are healthy. My father’s name is Manuel Chingo Mendez. He makes a living as a day laborer and farmer in our village. On the other hand, my mom keeps busy doing the chores and raising our chickens and one cow. She occasionally sells the chickens to contribute to the expenses.

My family and I live with my grandmother at her house. Her name is Mirta Mendez, and she is my relative on my father’s side. We are glad because my grandfather is still alive. The house where we live is made of adobe, a tile roof, and dirt floors. It has one room, a separate kitchen, running water, but no electricity. Therefore, we use flashlights or candles at night. My family and I are grateful to the feeding program because of the delicious meals I can eat for free. It is about thirty minutes away from where we live, so my mom and I walk to get there. This is all for now, but I kindly ask you to pray for my family and our needs. Some of our greatest needs are food and clothes. See you later!

With much love,

Ana Chingo De La Cruz

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala