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! Greetings from Guatemala! I feel grateful to have the opportunity to introduce myself. I hope things turn out well for you and your loved ones. I am Estefania Felipa Gonzalez Chingo. I was born on November 8, 2014. I am almost 10 years old. I am in the 3^rd grade at school, and my favorite color is purple. I love eating fried chicken, and my hobby is playing with dolls. My favorite animal is the goat. I have three brothers and three sisters. I like attending the feeding program. It usually takes me 10 minutes to get there by motorcycle.

My father is Israel Gonzalez Riz. He is a fruit merchant in Malacatan, which is another department far away from Tunaja. For that reason, he comes to visit us every 2 weeks and stays at home for one week. He keeps in touch with us and supports our family. My mother is Maria Chingo Ruiz. She takes care of us and the house. Moreover, she improves the income by selling fruits at home. All my family is healthy thanks to God. Unfortunately, we do not attend any church, but I hope to start attending one soon.

My parents own the house where we live, but we share it with my maternal grandparents. The house has three rooms, including the separated kitchen. It is made of adobe and block walls, tin sheet roof and cement floor. There is running water and electricity. The water payment has to be done every year and the electricity every month. My father is the one who does those payments. Our domestic animals are chickens and pigs. Our greatest necessity as a family is food. Thank you so much for your prayers for my family. I look forward to meeting you someday. I hope to write you again soon. Take care!

Many blessings,

Estefania Felipa Gonzalez Chingo

Translated by: Mireya de Sandoval, AAC Secretary / Antigua