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.

It is a big privilege to greet you through this letter. My full name is Micaela Cux Garcia and I want to share a little about my information with you. I was born on October 24, 2015. I attend the second grade at school. I am 10 years old and my favorite pastime is playing with my dolls. I love the color pink and my favorite animals are rabbits. About food, I love eating fried chicken. I am a lucky girl because I have a healthy and lovely family. My mother’s name is Isabel Cux Garcia. She is a single parent and works hard to support our family. She raises chickens to sell and travels to the coast to earn extra money on the farms. She usually takes my siblings and me with her. I have two brothers and three sisters. Concerning my biological father, let me tell you that he abandoned my mother when he found out that she was pregnant with me.

The house where we live belongs to my mother. One of my aunts and her children live with us. The house is made of adobe with a tin sheet roof and a concrete floor. It has only one room, so we set up an improvised kitchen outside. Luckily, we have a well to get water. There is no electricity at home, so we use candles at night. We are glad because one of my uncles told us that he will share that service with us soon. My mother agreed to help him with the expenses. The feeding program is near my house. We usually walk for about 20 minutes to get there. It is time to say goodbye, but I want you to know that my mother and a staff member of LW helped me write this letter. Until next time!

Wishing you very kind of blessing,

Micaela Cux Garcia

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala