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 Alex Romeo Silverio Mendez Gomez, and I am pleased to share my information with you. I was born on October 6, 2021. Because of my age, I still do not attend school. I am 4 years old. I stay home with my mother. My favorite pastimes are playing with my toy cars and soccer. At the moment, I am an only child. I love the color blue My favorite animals are rabbits, and I enjoy eating fried black beans with sausages. Fortunately, my whole family and I are healthy. We attend a nearby Church called Prince of Peace. My father’s name is Lorenzo Mendez Garcia. He makes a living as a day laborer and farmer. While my father goes to work, my mother is dedicated to taking care of me. Besides that, she weaves typical clothes to contribute to the household expenses.

Please pray for us. We are a low-income family, and most of our needs are food and clothes. We live with my grandfather at his house. He is my relative on my father’s side. One of my uncles also lives with us. The house is made of adobe with a tin sheet roof and a dirt floor. It has three rooms, a separate kitchen, electricity, and running water. My father pays for the services. We have some chickens and pigs at home for our consumption. We also have a dog as a pet. Fortunately, I do not have to walk very much to get to the feeding program because it is only five minutes away. Thank you so much for reading my letter! I want you to know that my mother helped provide all this information to a staff member of LW.

Sincerely yours,

Alex Romeo Silverio Mendez Gomez

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala