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! My name is Walter Mendez Garcia. My birthdate is August 22, 2017, and I am now 7 years old. At school I attend kindergarten this year. I love animals and the one I love the most is the horse. My favorite color is green. The tastiest food for me are noodles and rice. I spend my free time by playing toy cars. I am so happy living with my parents, six brothers and two sisters. My father is Juan Mendez Luis. He works both as a farmer and day laborer to supply our needs. My mother is Aquilina Garcia Gomez. She usually stays busy with the housework, and she also raises hens and goats.

We attend the Prince of Peace Church. Thanks to God, my parents are the owners of the house in which we live; there are two rooms and a small kitchen outside. The house is made of adobe with a tin roof and a dirt floor. We have running water and electricity; the electricity is paid monthly and the water is paid yearly. Since we are a big family, our greatest needs are clothes, shoes and school supplies. I am very happy to be registered in the feeding program alongside my older siblings; we walk 10 minutes to arrive to the program. I appreciate that you take time to read my information. Every kind of blessings over you!

Lots of love,

Walter Mendez Garcia

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