My Story

Tunaja is a small area of the state of Quiché, Guatemala. The inhabitants are Quiché Mayans who trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization. The prevalent language is the Mayani 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 Tunaja is difficult.

Hello! This is Jorge Manuel. I was born on January 24, 2014 in Joyabaj, Quiche. I come from a humble family that has five members. My father is Jorge Alfredo Chingo Simaj and my mother is Maria Cux Mucia. They both live with us. My father earns a living by working as a farmer, day laborer and mason´s helper while my mother is a housemaker but also contributes economically by weaving typical canvases. I have one brother and one sister. We attend the Catholic Church.

I am a healthy 9-year-old boy. My hobby is riding a bicycle. I like that my mother cooks fried chicken. My favorite animal is the dog and I like the color black. I attend school and I am a third grader. I am not repeating. After school, I usually take the bus to go to the feeding program. I normally travel for 5 minutes to get there.

My family lives in a borrowed house and does not pay any rent. We pray the Lord gives us one for our own someday. The house belongs to my parent´s brother-in-law. We do not share the house with someone else. The house has two rooms and a separate kitchen made of tile walls, cemented roof and ceramic floor. We do not have running water, so my grandmother gives us water and we do not pay anything. We do not have electricity. My grandmother also gives us electricity, so my father shares the expense with her. There are not any domestic animals at home. Our greatest necessity is food. Thank you for being interested in reading about my life. My mother gave all this information to the LW team for you. I send you my love and best wishes for your life and family. Take care!

Best regards from now on,

Jorge Manuel Chingo Cux

Translated by: Mireya de Sadoval, AAC Secretary / Antigua