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, this is Jackson Alexander Gonzalez Chingo. I am glad to greet you from Guatemala. Thank you for your interest in hearing from my family and me. I was born on November 11, 2019. I am 5 years old. This is my first year at school and I am in pre-kinder. Green is my favorite color. I like rabbits. I love eating fried chicken. In my free time, I like playing soccer. I have two brothers and three sisters. I usually walk for 20 minutes to attend the feeding program along with my siblings. As a family, our greatest need is food.

My parents are Israel Gonzales Riz and Maria Chingo Ruiz. My father did not legally recognize me because he was in The United States when I was born. For that reason, I only have my mother´s last names. 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. As a family, we do not attend church now.

My father owns the house where we live. 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. Well, this is all for now. I hope to have another opportunity to communicate with you. I send my best wishes to your family and you.

Strong hugs,

Jackson Alexander Chingo Ruiz

Translated by: Mireya de Sandoval, AAC Secretary / Antigua