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 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.

Hello! This is Sabina Pastor Mendez and I am sharing my daughter´s information through this. My daughter is Gloria Elvira Mendez Pastor. She was born on January 23, 2022, and she is now 2 years old. Since she is still too young, she is not attending school yet. She likes to play with her dolls at home. She loves butterflies and her favorite color is purple. She loves to eat chicken broth. I live with my daughter Gloria and her two brothers. Thanks to God, we all are doing well. I usually stay busy with the housework, but I also go to wash clothes and makes tortillas to make a living. Gloria´s father is Adolfo Mendez Garcia; however, he abandoned us and we know nothing about him.

We attend the Assembly of God Church. The owner the house in which we live is my sister and we do not pay for rent. We use one room made of adobe with a tin roof and a dirt floor. The kitchen is separate. We do not have running water or electricity; however, we have a solar panel and get water from a river near the house. Since I am a single parent, we are in need of groceries. I like to attend the feeding program alongside my children and we walk 30 minutes to get there. Thank you for reading my daughter´s information. May God bless you abundantly!

Kisses and hugs,

Gloria Elvira Mendez Pastor and Sabina Pastor Mendez (mother)

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