My Story

Tunaja is a small area of the state of Quiché, Guatemala. The inhabitants are Quiché Mayans who trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization. The prevalent language is the Mayan dialect - Quiché. 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 difficult.

Hello, my name is Gladys Mariela and I am 4 years old. I was born on August 10^th, 2019, in Joyabaj, Quiche. I come from a humble family of four members. My father´s name is Victor Garcia Gutierrez and my mother´s is Magdalena Chingo Garcia. They both work hard to support our family. My father earns a living by working as a mason´s helper while my mother contributes working as a house cleaner for others. I have one brother who attends the feeding program as well. We usually walk for 20 minutes to the program. My brother has different last names than mine because we have different fathers. My father is the current partner of my mother.

I am not enrolled at school yet, but my parents are planning to send me next year. For that reason, I accompany my mom when she goes to work because nobody can look after me while she is working. I enjoy playing football with my brother and playing with my dolls. My health is good thanks to God. My favorite color is light blue and I like chicks. I love eating fried eggs. I feel glad to be part of Living Water and I am thankful that my mother provided this information to the LW teacher to share with you.

We live in my grandparents´ house that belongs to my grandfather. Thankfully, my parents do not pay any rent. The house has three rooms and a separate kitchen. We only use two rooms and share the kitchen. There is running water and electricity and we share the payment. We have domestic animals such as pigs and chickens. As a family, our main necessity is corn. Well, I appreciate that you were interested in reading this update. Thank you so much for your love. I send you many kisses and hugs from Guatemala.

Best regards from now on,

Gladys Mariela Garcia Chingo

Translated by: Mireya de Sadoval, AAC Secretary / Antigua