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 name is Edy Agusto Ruiz Pastor, and I am so happy to share a little about my life with you. I hope you find my letter engaging. I was born on October 17, 2020. Fortunately, I am a healthy 5-year-old boy. I still do not attend school, but I hope to do it soon. I stay home and play with my toy cars. My favorite color is sky blue, and I love having fried chicken in my meals. My favorite domestic animals are pigs. I have a few pigs and chickens at home. My mom raises them to sell and contribute to the expenses. Her name is Estela Pastor Chingo. She is also dedicated to caring for my sister and me while my father is at work. I only have one sister. My father works as a day laborer in our village for two months. Then, he travels to the coast and works on a coffee plantation for three months to earn extra money. His name is Domingo Ruiz Toj. He keeps in touch with us when he travels there. We are Christians and attend a nearby church.

I want to use this opportunity to ask you to pray for my family. We have many necessities, but the most demanding is food. We are grateful to my grandparents because they allow us to live with them at their house. They are my relatives on my father’s side. Their house is made of adobe with a tile roof and a dirt floor. It has three rooms, a separate kitchen, electricity, and running water. My parents help my grandparents with the household expenses. Luckily, the feeding program is about five minutes from where I live. Therefore, one of my cousins and I walk to get there. This is all for now, but I want you to know that my mom helped me share all this information with a staff member of LW.

Kisses and hugs,

Edy Agusto Ruiz Pastor 

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala