My Story

Tunaja is a very primitive area of the state of Quiche, Guatemala. The inhabitants are Quiche Mayans who trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization. The prevalent language is the Mayan dialect - Quiche. 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 Tunaja is extremely difficult.

 My full name is Maria Wendy Quixan Luis, and I fondly greet you in Jesus’ name. I was born on June 6, 2021. I am too young to attend school, so I stay home. I am a healthy 4-year-old girl. I love playing with my dolls. My favorite color is pink. I love eating noodles with tomato sauce. I am a big fan of teddy bears. I live with my mother and siblings. I have two sisters and one brother. My mother’s name is Ana Quixan Luis. She works in our village as a day laborer to contribute to the expenses. She also grows corn and raises chickens for our consumption. Due to her work, she suffers from muscle pains, but she is already under treatment. We are Christians and attend a nearby church. As for my father, let me tell you that he traveled to the United States some years ago. His name is Elias Us Hernandez. He works as a mason and helps us economically every three weeks.

The house where we live belongs to my mother. It is made of concrete blocks, tin sheet roof, and concrete floors. It has two rooms, a separate kitchen, but no electricity or running water either. Thankfully, one of our relatives allows my mother to carry water in a plastic vessel from her house. She does not charge us for it. In addition, my grandmother shares the electricity with us. She is my relative on my father’s side. My mother helps her with the expenses. Please pray for my family and our well-being. Some of our priorities are clothes and food, especially corn. The feeding program is a little far from our house. Therefore, my mother takes my siblings and me in a microbus to get there. The trip lasts about five minutes. I will leave you now, but I hope you found my story engaging. My mother and a staff member of LW helped me write this letter.

Best wishes,

Maria Wendy Quixan Luis

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala