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 Mayani 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, I am Gaby Patricia and I was born in Zacualpa, Quiche in 2018. I am a healthy child. I turned 5 years old on May 19. I am not enrolled at school this year since I am still young. My favorite color is purple. My hobbies are playing football and dolls. My favorite animal is the sheep. I enjoy eating rice with beans. I usually walk to the program in 5 minutes.

My father is Damian Garcia Gutierrez and my mother is Zoila Morente Hernandez. Both of them live with us. My dad earns a living by farming the land and working sometimes as a day laborer for others. On the other side, my mother stays at home and cares for us. I have one brother and one sister, and they are both registered in the feeding program. As a family, we attend the Prince of Peace Church.

We live with my maternal grandmother and uncle. The house belongs to my uncle. We do not pay rent for living with them. There are three rooms and a kitchen. The rooms are made of block and wood walls, tin sheet and tile roof and cemented floor. We have running water and electricity services. The water is paid annually and the electricity monthly. We have chickens as domestic animals. Our greatest necessity is food. Lastly, I want to tell you that my mother provided all this information for you. I thank the Living Water staff for giving us the opportunity to share this with you. I send you lots of hugs and kisses. I send my best wishes!

Best regards from now on,

Gaby Patricia Garcia Morente

Translated by: Mireya de Sadoval, AAC Secretary / Antigua