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! I am Kevin Adelso Santiago Coj Jimon, and it is a great pleasure to introduce myself to you. I hope you find this interesting. Thank you for your attention. I come from a humble family. My father is Santiago Coj Garcia, and my mother is Argelia Jimon. Sadly, my father had an accident 10 years ago and he lost the feeling in his right hand and foot, so he drags his foot when walking. For that reason, he cannot work, so my paternal grandmother helps us a little economically when her other son who is in The United States sends her money. Her name is Petronila Coj. On the other hand, my mother struggles to support us by washing clothes for others and weaving. Besides that, she takes care of us and the house.

Talking about me, I was born on June 8, 2020. I am 4 years old, so I am too young to attend the school. I enjoy my time playing with toy cars and little plastic animals. Fortunately, I am a healthy boy. My favorite color is red, and my favorite animal is the cat. I love eating rice and beans. I have one brother and three sisters. We all take the bus to the feeding program, and it takes us 5 minutes to arrive. We live in our own house. It belongs to my mother. There are two rooms including the separated kitchen. It is made of adobe, tin sheet roof and cement floor. We have electricity and running water that my mother pays. We have 2 turkeys, 8 chickens and a cat as domestic animals. As a family we have many necessities, but the main ones are corn, groceries, clothes and shoes. Lastly, I want to mention that my mother gave all this information to the LW team just for you. Thank you so much for loving me without meeting me before. I pray God keeps you well. I send you many kisses and hugs. Thank you for reading about me. Take care!

Best regards,

Kevin Adelso Santiago Coj Jimon

Translated by: Mireya de Sandoval, AAC Secretary / Antigua