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 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 Tunajá is extremely difficult.

Well, I am really happy to have this opportunity to share a little bit of me. I hope you find this interesting. My name is Eymi Llorleni Riz Morente. I live with my parents Antolin Riz Ruiz and Ana Elizabeth Morente de la Cruz de Riz. They both struggle to support our family; my father by working as a day laborer and farmer and my mother by raising chickens for selling. My father usually finds work for 4 or 5 days a week. On the other hand, my mother is also in charge of the housework and takes care of us. Thank God, we are all in good health at home. My family are members of Teaching of Israel Church.

Talking about me, I was born on May 6, 2017. I am 7 years old. I attend 1^st grade at school this year. I like pink, and my favorite animal is the cow. I love eating roast beef. In my free time, I like playing with dolls. I feel happy to attend the feeding program, and my mother usually takes us there. We walk for 30 minutes, then take a bus for 30 more minutes to arrive at the program. We do not own a house, that is why my parents rent one to live in. They pay Q300.00 = $40 monthly. The house belongs to a neighbor. It has one room, and one kitchen made of adobe, tile roof and cement floor. There is also an artisanal well, and we use a pump to extract water. Besides that, we have electricity that my parents pay monthly. I know this is the first time you heard about me, but I would like to ask for your prayers for my family because we have a debt, so our greatest necessity is to have work to be able to pay off the debt and be solvent. Well, before saying goodbye to you, I want you to know that my mother gave all this information to the LW team for you. May God bless you for taking the time to read this. I send all kind of blessings for you and your whole family. I look forward to writing you again. Take care!

Best wishes,

Eymi Llorleni Riz Morente

Translated by: Mireya de Sandoval, AAC Secretary / Antigua