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! My name is Alex Luis de la Cruz. My birthdate is February 15, 2018, which makes me 5 years of age now. Due to my young age, I am not attending school yet. I like the color green, and my favorite animal is the pig. The meal I love is a hen in sauce, it is prepared with tomatoes and spices. My hobby is playing soccer. I live with my mother, two brothers and one sister; fortunately, we all are healthy. My father is Salvador Luis Ruiz. He is working in the United States in a chicken farm and he is there about three years ago. He communicates with us once per week and sends us money to supply our needs. My mother is Dominga de la Cruz Coj. She is a housewife and raises hens, goats and pigs to sell when we have some need.

We attend Catholic Church. We live in our property; it is an adobe house with tin sheet roof, and a cement floor. We have two rooms, and the kitchen is separated. There are running water but no electricity, so we use lamps at night. We do the water payment once per year. For now, our greatest need are groceries. I live about 23 minutes away from the feeding program. My mother Dominga de la Cruz provided my personal information to the Living Water staff for my registration in the program. With much love. Every kind of blessings on you!

Hugs and kisses,

Alex Luis de la Cruz

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