My Story

Chuchuca, where your child lives, is an area located high on the side of a mountain in the state of Quiche, 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 Quiche Mayans who inhabit this area trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization. They normally speak a Mayan dialect called Quiche - 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 so happy to share a little bit about my life with you through this letter. My full name is Margarita Gricelda Coj Bartolo and I was born on May 7, 2017. I am in good health and I am in second grade. My favorite pastime is learning how to weave typical clothes and doing homework. I love having eggs with tomato for my meals. I like the color pink, and my favorite animals are cats. I live with my parents and siblings. I have one brother and two sisters. My sisters are already enrolled at the feeding program. We usually walk for 35 minutes from where we live to get there and my mother accompanies us. My mother’s name is Gregoria Bartolo Gomez and besides keeping busy as a housewife, she dedicates her time to weaving typical clothes to help my father with the expenses.

My father’s name is Juan Coj Garcia and he makes a living by making artisanal wells. We are a low-income family and most of our needs are groceries, corn, clothes, and shoes. At the moment, we do not attend a church. We live in our own house, which is made of adobe with a tin sheet roof and dirt floor. It has one room and a separate kitchen, but there is no electricity or running water. We use flashlights at night and my grandmother shares the water with us. We collect water by using plastic vessels. Fortunately, we have enough space at home to raise chickens and pigs for our consumption. It is time to say goodbye for now, but I send you huge hugs.

Sincerely yours,

Margarita Gricelda Coj Bartolo

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Guatemala