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! I am Wendy Marisol Garcia Calachij. My birthdate is March 12, 2013, which makes me 11 years of age now. This year I am in 3^rd grade at school. I like to help my family to clean the house in my free time. I love cats and my favorite color is pink. The food I love the most is fried chicken. I live happily with my parents; I have four brothers and four sisters. By the grace of God, we are doing well at home. My father´s name is Juan Garcia Gutierrez. He does farm work in our village to supply all our needs. My mother´s name is Isabel Calachij Garcia. She usually does the chores at home, and she also goes to sell homemade ice cream on the street twice a week to add income. Moreover, she raises hens, sheep and pigs. Our pets are a dog and a cat.

We are members of the Catholic Church. Thanks to God, my father is the owner the house in which we live; we have three rooms made of adobe with a tile roof and a dirt floor, and the kitchen is separate. We have running water and electricity; my parents pay for those services. Since we are a big family, our greatest needs are groceries. It is a great blessing for me to be part of the feeding program and I walk 30 minutes to arrive at the program; I attend alongside my sister. Thank you for reading my information. May our Lord bless you!

Huge hugs,

Wendy Marisol Garcia Calachij 

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