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.

Hello, It is a pleasure for me to share a short story of my life with you. I am Maynor Adolfo Hernandez de la Cruz. My parents are Pedro Hernandez Ajqui and Marcela de la Cruz Toj. My father works as a farmer. However, he earns very little, so he does not support our family. On the other hand, my mother is a housewife but sustains our family by weaving and raising chickens for selling. I would like to ask for your prayers for my mom since she suffers frequently from headaches and has arthritis. Unfortunately, she is not under treatment due to our low resources. As a family our greatest needs are corn and groceries. We attend the Catholic Church.

About me, I was born in Zacualpa on September 21, 2018. I am a healthy boy. I will turn 7 years this year. I am not at school yet. I like playing soccer. My favorite color is blue. I like cows. I love eating roast meat. I have 4 sisters and 1 brother. I attend the feeding program with my sisters. We take a bus for 10 minutes to get there.

Thankfully, my father owns the house where we live alongside my paternal grandparents. The house has three rooms, but we use two. There is also a separate kitchen.  It is made of adobe, tile roof and dirt floor. There is running water and electricity that my mother pays every time. Well, this is all for now. I will keep praying for you and your family. I send my best wishes to all of you.

Many blessings,

Maynor Adolfo Hernandez de la Cruz

Translated by: Mireya de Sandoval, AAC Secretary / Antigua