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 crops. The Quiché Mayans who inhabit this area trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization. They normally speak a Mayan 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.

Hello! I am Rodrigo Alejandro de la Cruz Garcia. My birthdate is January 20, 2015, which makes me 8 years of age now. I attend 2^nd grade at school this year. My favorite animal is the dove, and I like the color green. The meal I love is fried chicken. My hobby is to play marbles and football. I live with my parents, three brothers and one sister. By the grace of God, we are healthy. My father´s name is Miguel de la Cruz Mendez. He works as a day laborer in our village, and he also goes to work on the coast at the end of the year during coffee harvesting for three months. My mother´s name is Amelia Garcia Garcia de de la Cruz. She does the housework at home and weaves typical blouses to sell. She also raises hens.

The house in which we live belongs to my mother´s sister. There are two adobe rooms with tile roof and a dirt floor. The kitchen is separated. There are running water but no electricity, so we use lamps at night. My parents do the water payment once per year. We have our own house, but it is located in another village called Xemoxche. However, it is a small room made of wood with a tin sheet roof and a dirt floor. There is no running water. That is the reason that my parents came to live in my aunt´s house, and we have been living there for about three years. My parents want to improve the house so we can live there comfortably, but we do not know how long it may take to get back there. We are members of the Assembly of God Church. The feeding program is located about 20 minutes away from home. My family is in need of groceries, corn, and a bed. This time the Living Water staff collected this information personally for the record, and my mother Amelia Garcia provided it. Take care. May God bless you wherever you go!

Lots of love,

Rodrigo Alejandro de la Cruz Garcia

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