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.

Hello! How are you doing? My name is Adrian Baudilio Benito Cuin, and I am pleased to share a little bit about my life with you. I was born on December 22, 2017. I am a healthy 7-year-old boy. I am in the first grade at school. My favorite pastimes are playing with my toy cars. I also have a lot of fun playing soccer. My favorite color is red. I love eating fried chicken. My favorite animals are dogs. I attend a Christian Church alongside my parents and three sisters. I have no more siblings. My father’s name is Gabriel Benito Chingo. He is not working at the moment because he had an accident on a motorcycle some months ago. He had a serious fracture on his right foot, so he is using crutches.

My mother is a housewife and does her best to support our family while my father recovers. Her name is Candelaria Cuin Luis. She washes clothes for other people and works as a day laborer in our village. However, her income is not enough to cover our needs, so she asked for a loan from one of our neighbors. Our priorities are food, clothes, and school supplies for my sisters and me. Therefore, I kindly ask you to pray for us. The house where we live belongs to my grandmother, on my father’s side. Her name is Gregoria Chingo. Besides my family, she also allows some of my uncles and their families to live there.

The house is made of adobe with a tin sheet and a concrete floor. It has four rooms, a separate kitchen, electricity, and a well to get water. Everybody contributes to cover the household expenses. Fortunately, there is enough space at home to raise our chickens and turkeys. We live about 30 minutes from the feeding program, so we usually walk to get there. It is time to end this letter, but I hope you find it engaging. My mother and a staff member of LW helped me write it. Take care of yourself!

Sincerely yours,

Adrian Baudilio Benito Cuin

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala