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! I am Pedro Yobani Morente Benito, and it is a pleasure to share a little about my life with you. I was born on January 27, 2020. Because of my age, I still do not attend school. Luckily, I am a healthy 5-year-old boy. My favorite pastime is playing with toy cars. I like the color red. My favorite animal is the cat, and I love eating fried chicken. Now, let me tell you about my family. We attend a Christian Church. My father’s name is Santos Morente Alvarado. He makes a living as a farmer and day laborer. My mother’s name is Santos Benito Luis. She keeps busy doing the chores and caring for my siblings and me. I have three brothers and three sisters. Besides that, she contributes to the expenses by raising and selling chickens.

Please pray for us and our needs. Some of them are food, clothes, electricity, and running water. The house where we live belongs to my parents. It is made of adobe with a tin sheet roof and a dirt floor. It has two rooms and a separate kitchen. We use candles at night and get water from a spring, which is about five minutes away. Let me tell you that my house is close to the feeding program. My siblings and I usually walk for seven minutes to get there. I will leave you now, but I hope you found my information engaging. My mom and a staff member of LW helped me write this letter. See you later!

Kind regards,

Pedro Yobani Morente Benito

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala