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.

Hello, my name is Carlos Osvaldo Rodriguez Ruiz. I greet you in the name of Jesus hoping things turn out well for you and your family. I am glad to introduce myself to you. So, I am going to start by telling you about my family. My biological father is Santos Rodriguez Simaj. Unfortunately, he is separated from my mother. He is in The United States and works with cows. I receive a child support from him according to the law. He sends Q300.00 = US$40 monthly, but it is not enough to cover my needs. My mother´s name is Elubia Francisca Ruiz Luis. She takes care of us and the house. She currently has another partner. His name is Marcos Hernandez Simaj, and he has been living with us for around 1 year. He is a farmer and he contributes economically to our family. Thankfully, my family is healthy now. Besides that, my mother is expecting a baby. She is 9 months pregnancy. At the moment, we stopped attending the Catholic Church, I hope we continue to attend soon.

I am 10 years old. I was born on November 29, 2015, in San Andres Sajcabaja. I attend 2^nd grade at school. My hobby is playing soccer.  My health is good. I enjoy eating fried chicken. I like cows and my favorite color is light blue. I have two brothers and one sister. I feel blessed to attend the feeding program and I usually walk for 10 minutes to get there.

My mother rents the house where we live. She pays Q500.00 = US $66.66 monthly. The house belongs to my paternal uncle. We do not share the house. It has three rooms and one kitchen. It is made of cemented floor, adobe and tin sheet roof. There is running water and electricity. We just pay for the electricity monthly. I have a cat. Our greatest need as a family is food, especially corn. Alright, I appreciate that you took time to read this from me. I hope to keep in touch with you. May God bless you richly!

Sincerely yours,

Carlos Osvaldo Rodriguez Ruiz

Translated by: Mireya de Sandoval, AAC Secretary / Antigua