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.

It is a nice pleasure to share with you about my life and family. I am Candelia Elvira Perez Aguilar, and I feel very excited to start by telling you about me. I was born on May 7, 2016. I am a healthy 8-year-old girl. My favorite color is red, and I attend the 1^st grade at school this year. I like dogs, and my hobby is playing with dolls. My favorite dish is fried chicken. I like attending the feeding program, and I usually walk for 30 minutes to arrive there.

Talking about my family, my father´s name is Marvin Perez Hernandez. Unfortunately, he does not live with us because he has alcoholic problems. He does not support our family. On the other hand, my mother´s name is Luisa Ofelia Aguilar Cux. She lives with us and weaves to sustain our family. My grandmother´s name is Candelia Cux Saquic. She is 56 years old. She helps a little economically by weaving and raising chickens for selling.

We live in our grandparents´ house. They are the owners of the two-room house with a separate kitchen.  It is made of adobe, tin sheet roof and cement floor. We have running water and electricity. My mother and grandfather share the expenses of water annually, and the electricity monthly. As a family, our greatest needs are corn and food. Thankfully, all of us attend the church currently. Lastly, I want you to know that my grandmother gave all this information to the LW team. Well, thank you so much for reading this. I hope things turn out well for you and your family. Take care!

Best wishes,

Candelaria Elvira Perez Aguilar

Translated by: Mireya de Sandoval, AAC Secretary / Antigua