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! My full name is Alicia Fabiola Luis Garcia, and I am pleased to share my information with you. I was born on March 30, 2017. I am 8 years old, and I have speech problems. My mother already took me to the doctor, but he said that everything is fine with me. I attend school as a first grader. I love playing with my dolls. My favorite color is purple. I like the domestic animals, but my favorite one is the cat. My favorite food is chicken broth. I am glad because my whole family is doing well. My father’s name is Victor Hugo Luis Franco. He traveled to the United States about five years ago. Please pray for my father so that the Lord keeps him safe. He works for a company in which his work consists of washing barrels. He usually sends us money at the end of the month. My mother's name is Rosario Garcia Coj. She keeps busy with the housework and taking care of my siblings and me. I have one brother and one sister. We attend a Christian Church.

My family and I live with my grandparents at their house. Some of my aunts also live with us. They are my relatives on my mother’s side. The house is made of concrete block and adobe walls with a tin sheet roof and a dirt floor. It has four rooms, a separate kitchen, electricity, and running water. We share the household expenses at the end of the month. We have a few chickens at home for our consumption. We also have some cats and dogs as pets. We have many needs but the main are food and clothes. The feeding program is about 10 minutes by microbus from where I live. This is all for now, but I want you to know that my mother helped me share all my news with a staff member of LW. 

Kind regards,

Alicia Fabiola Luis Garcia

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala