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.

I am glad to say hello for the first time. I bless you and your family. Thank you for letting me share about my life and family with you. My name is Ricardo Enrique Garcia Gonzales. I live with my parents and two sisters. My parents are Domingo Garcia Morente and Maria Gonzalez García de Garcia. My sisters Laura, Estefani and I attend the feeding program. We walk together for 10 minutes to get there. We are Catholics. My father works hard as a farmer or day laborer every day while my mother works as a weaver to sustain our family. My mother also does the hard work at home and takes care of us.

I am a 5-year-old boy. I was born in Zacualpa on January 16, 2021. I am not enrolling at school due to my young age. I spend my time at home, and I enjoy playing with toy cars and soccer. I love eating fried chicken. My favorite color is blue and I like cats. Thank God, all of us are in good health. We have some domestic animals at home such as a pig, chickens, a dog and a cat.

We live with my paternal grandparents. The house is made of adobe, tin sheet roof and cemented floor. It has two rooms and one kitchen. We get the water from an artisanal well located there. There is electricity that my father pays for every month. As a family, our greatest needs are food, clothes and shoes. Thank you so much for giving me your attention. I would appreciate your prayers and be sure that we will keep you in ours. I love you so much.

Best wishes to you,

Ricardo Enrique Garcia Gonzalez

Translated by: Mireya de Sandoval, AAC Secretary / Antigua