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 laborers. 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.

What a blessing to introduce myself to you for the first time. My name is Thainny Yanett Guadalupe Tino Luis.  My parents are Mario Antonio Tino Gutierrez and Laura Luis Gomez. They are healthy thanks to God. My father is a farmer but also travels for three months to the coast to clean the coffee plants. My mother does the hard work at home and takes care of us. She improves the income by washing clothes for others in Zacualpa. Besides that, she sells herbs in the local plaza of Zacualpa on Thursdays and Sundays. We attend the Catholic Church. This time, I want to ask for your prayers for us because my parents are working hard and praying for God to help them to buy our own house.

I am 5 years old. I was born on February 18, 2020. I am a healthy girl. I am attending pre-school this year. In my free time, I like playing with dolls. My favorite color is light blue, and I like dogs. I love eating chao mein. I only have one sister. I enjoy attending the feeding program, so my mother usually walks for 40 minutes with me to get there. We live at my grandparents´ house. There are three rooms and a separate kitchen. We use only two rooms. It is made of block, tin sheet roof and ceramic floor. We have a well to get water and we have electricity. My parents and grandparents share electricity expenses every month. We raise some chickens for our consumption. Well, I hope you find this interesting. I love you so much and thank you for taking this time to read about me.

Many blessings,

Thaimmy Yanett Guadalupe Tino Luis

Translated by: Mireya de Sandoval, AAC Secretary / Antigua