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, I am Israel Santiago Gonzalez Chingo. I feel excited to tell you about my family and me. My parents are Israel Gonzales Riz and Maria Chingo Ruiz. Neither of them lives with us because they traveled to Malacatan, San Marcos which is a department far away from Tunaja. They sell fruits, which is a small business that they established in that place. Meanwhile, we stay under the care of my maternal grandmother. She only takes care of us because my parents give her the money for our support. They call us twice a week. Besides that, they come home to visit us three or four times a year. Thankfully, they are healthy. I have two brothers and three sisters. As a family, we do not attend church now.

I am a healthy 8-year-old boy. I am in the 2nd grade at school this year. In my free time, I enjoy playing soccer. My favorite animal is the dog, and I like red. I love eating fried chicken. I usually walk for 20 minutes to attend the feeding program along with my siblings. As a family, our greatest need is food.

We live in our own house. It belongs to my dad. It has three rooms, and a kitchen made of block and adobe walls, tin sheet roof and cemented floor. There is running water and electricity. My maternal grandmother and uncles live with us, and we share the expenses with them. Our domestic animals are chickens, pigs and goats. Alright! Thank you so much for your attention and interest in me. May God bless you and your family wherever you are! I send many hugs from Guatemala.

Best wishes,

Israel Santiago Gonzalez Chingo

Translated by: Mireya de Sandoval, AAC Secretary / Antigua