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.

Good morning, it is my pleasure to greet you in this opportunity! My full name is Any Candelaria Hernandez Morente. I was born on April 16^th of 2019, in Zacualpa, Quiche, Guatemala. I am a 6-year-old girl. My father´s name is Alfredo Hernandez Calachij. He works both as a farmer and day laborer. He also travels to the coast to pick coffee beans from September to November to get more income. My mother´s name is Zoila Morente Chingo. She does the housework and weaves Zacualpa´s typical blouses in the afternoons. We raise hens. I have one brother and two sisters. Fortunately, my loved ones and I are fine.

I am attending kindergarten. I like to play with my dolls. I love the color red, and I like pigs. The food I love the most is fried chicken. My family and I attend Church of Christ. We are living in my paternal grandparents’ house; they and some uncles are living there also. The house has three rooms made of adobe with tile roof and a cement floor. We use one room and the kitchen is separated. We have running water and electricity services. My father and grandfather take turns to pay for those services. Our greatest needs are groceries, corn and clothes. It is a great blessing for me to be registered in the feeding program; I attend alongside my cousins and we walk for one hour to arrive there. I say goodbye to you for now and I hope to hear from you very soon. Every kind of blessing over you!

Lots of love,

Any Candelaria Hernandez Morente

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