My Story

Tunajá is a very primitive area of the state of Quiché, Guatemala.  The inhabitants are Quiché Indians who trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization.  The prevalent language is the Indian dialect - Quiché.  The people are either farmers or shepherds and live off the fruits of their labors.  Very little money ever changes hands as they use a barter system.  Public education is available - however, most families cannot afford it.  Electricity and running water are not available in most of the area.  Life in Tunajá is extremely difficult.

Hello! It is a nice pleasure to greet you. I hope things turn out well for you and your loved ones. This is the first time I share my personal information, so I hope you find it interesting. Thank you for taking the time to read this. My name is Marta Lidia Morente Riz. I am 10 years old, and I was born on August 10, 2014. My health is good. My favorite color is black, and my favorite animal is the rabbit. I love eating eggs and black beans. I like helping my mother with the duties at home. I am in the 3^rd grade at school. The feeding program is a big blessing to me, and I love attending there. My aunt usually takes me there and we walk for 35 minutes to get there.

About my family, I have one brother and one sister. My father is Victoriano Morente. He works as a day laborer and uses what he earns to support our expenses. On the other hand, my mother is Lesly Floriselda Riz Gonzalez. She is a housewife, but also improves the income by selling snacks and small bags of chopped fruits in a school. I have one brother and one sister. All of them are healthy, thank God. We are members of the Sovereign King Church. We have many needs as a family, but the main one is food. We live in a humble house that belongs to my paternal grandmother. Thankfully, we do not pay any rent. It is a six-room house including the separate kitchen. It has adobe walls, tin sheet roof and cement floor. There is running water and electricity. My grandmother is the one who pays the electricity every month and the water every year. We have some domestic animals, and they are chickens. Well, this is time to say goodbye to you. I pray the Lord pours out lots of blessings upon you and your whole family. I look forward to hearing from you. I send you many kisses and hugs.

With lots of love,

Marta Lidia Morente Riz

Translated by: Mireya de Sandoval, AAC Secretary / Antigua