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 a little bit about my family and me. I feel excited to start this communication with you. First, I want to tell you that my mother gave this personal information to the LW team for you. My name is Justin Alexis Mota Herrera. I am 5 years old. I was born on October 25, 2019. I am in pre-school this year. I enjoy riding a bicycle, and my favorite color is blue. I like ducks and love to eat fried chicken. I have one brother and one sister. they are both registered in the feeding program. We go there together and usually walk for 45 minutes.

I live with my parents and their names are Jose Alfredo Ruiz Garcia and Blanca Ana Lilian Mota Hernandez. I am not legally recognized by my father because his personal document identification was expired, so I only have my mother’s last names. My father earns a living by farming the land. My mother does the hard housework but also improves the income by raising chickens for selling when it is necessary. We attend the Liberty Church in Tunaja. As a family, we have many necessities, but the main one is food. We live in our own house that belongs to my father. It is a one-room house made of adobe, tile roof and cement floor. We have running water, and my uncle shares the electricity with us. My father pays the services.  Thank God, my father is healthy, but I would like to ask for your prayers for my mother because she has been suffering from strong headaches. She has not gone to the doctor yet due to our low resources. I really appreciate that you took the time to read about me. Thank you for your good heart. I look forward to keeping in touch with you. I send you many kisses and hugs.

Many blessings,

Justin Alexis Mota Herrera

Translated by: Mireya de Sandoval, AAC Secretary / Antigua