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 laborers. 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.

What a blessing to write to you for the first time! This is Aylen Dayana Ruiz Morente. I live along my parents Manuel Ruiz Luis and Silvia Vidalia Morente Garcia. My father works as a farmer and day laborer to support our family while my mother does the hard work at home and looks after us. Thank God, my siblings and I are in good health. As a family, we attend the Church of God. This time, I would like to ask for your prayers for my parents because they are going through some issues. My father had problems with his right eye last year and was diagnosed with glaucoma, and he lost his vision in that eye. He went to a specialist, but he did not give him a solution. Besides that, my mother has diabetes and high blood pressure. She attends a public health center, and they give her medicine. Moreover, she must buy some medication in the drugstore. We have many needs, but the main ones are corn and groceries.

Talking about me, I am 6 years old. I was born on June 23, 2019. I am in kindergarten at school. I love eating soups. I like pink. My favorite animal is the pigeon. My hobby is playing with dolls. I enjoy attending the feeding program with my siblings. We usually walk for 30 minutes to get there. We live in our own house. There are two rooms, and a kitchen made of adobe, tile roof and cemented floors. We also have our own artisanal well. There is electricity that my parents pay for every month. Chickens are our domestic animals. Well, this is a short description of my life. Thank you for your interest in knowing more about me. May God bless you every single day!

Greetings and hugs,

Aylen Dayana Ruiz Morente

Translated by: Mireya de Sandoval, AAC Secretary / Antigua