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 Walter Salvador Garcia De La Cruz. I was born on Mar 7, 2016, and I am 7 years old. I am in first grade this year. The color blue is my favorite, and the animal I like the most is the dove. I love to eat beef Mexican tacos. Lately, I have had a stomachache and a lack of appetite; fortunately, I can attend the LW clinics and receive medical care now. My mother´s name is Zoila Garcia De La Cruz. Unfortunately, she is a woman with mental retardation, and due to that, she cannot talk very well. Sadly, my father is not in my life because he abandoned us and we do not know anything about him. So, my mother and I are under the care of my maternal grandparents; they are Jose Garcia Garcia and Sinforosa de la Cruz Garcia. My grandfather works a farmer and supports us, and my grandmother is a housewife and embroiders cloth napkins to sell and get income. She also raises hens.

We are Christian and attend the Prince of Peace Church. We are living in my grandmother´s house. There are three adobe rooms with a tin sheet roof and a floor that is just dirt. We have electricity but no running water. We get water from a nearby river, and my grandparents pay for electricity each month. The most needed items at home are groceries because my grandparents do not earn very much. I walk about 20 minutes to get to the feeding program. My grandmother Sinforosa de la Cruz provided my personal information to the Living Water staff for my registration in the program. Sending much love. Many and abundant blessings!

Hugs and kisses,

Walter Salvador Garcia De La Cruz

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