Mam Group / Qe xjal Mam

There are thousands of Guatemalan immigrant women in the Bay Area who speak Mam, an indigenous Mayan language. Many of them do not speak Spanish or English and need resources in their language, which is why MUA started the Grupo Mam.

A’t nim xjal nya te tnam lu’ qe xjal aj pa’xil (Guatemaltecas) tuj Area te la Bahia tuj California qa b’an chayolin tuj qyol (Mam), jun yol te qxechil maya. Nim che mib’in chayolin tuj tyol a’m (español) ex tyol meẍ ex cha’j jun onb’il tuj chyol, tu’ntzin tlaj o kub’ qe jun k’loj xuj te tuj qyol tuj MUA.

The Mam Group was created in 2019 at MUA by three young leading members with the desire to support other women in their community. They had the initiative to support, learn about more resources and do out reach to recruit more members for the Mam Group. In 2021 we hired one of them to be the coordinator of the program.

Okub’ qe jun k’loj xuj te tuj qyol tuj ab’q’i  2019 tu’j MUA chu’n ox kuxin (Jovenes) q’il twitz tu’n jun kyajb’il tun chaq’ onil che txqanl xuj te aj tu yol. O txi kyximan ti’j tun chaq’ onil, tu’n tchil txqanl nab’l ex o ch-ex  chmolta txqanl chxjali te txjali jun k’loj xu’j. Tujtzin 2021 otz’oktz qina jun kye tun taq’ q’il twitz jun k’loj xuj.

Achievements:

• We offer counseling and follow-up with Mam-speaking women by phone 5 days a week.

      Nxi qq’ona jun amb’il te jun aj yolil tuk’la ex nxi qq’olb’ena qe xuj tu’j jun xob’l yol tuj jwe q’ij te saman.

• We support the community with information and resources through Facebook videos and informative workshops.

      Nxi qonna tnam tuk’il tqanil ex qe onb’il chu’n qe keb’itz tu’j Facebook ex jun xnaq’tzb’il te tqanil.

• We supported with the delivery of food, diapers and wipes to some members of the Mam Group during the pandemic.

      Nqo onna tun txi q’abaj jun nib’eb’l, qa pañal ex sub’il tichaq che juwin xjal te jun k’loj xu’j tuj pandemia.

• We launched a virtual women’s support group in Mam on February 2021, starting with 19 participants. The group continues to meet twice a month.

      Ta’j o kub’ kchmon chib’ jun k’loj xuj te aj tu qyol  tnejil maj chu’j qa keyb’il, tu’j tkab’in xjaw (Febrero) te 2021, ex o ajb’en 19 xu’j. Ex chix nkub’ kchmo’n kyib’ kab’ maj tuj xjaw. 

• Several Mam-speaking women joined the annual MUA member retreat for the first time, and it was the first bilingual retreat in Spanish and Mam.

      O ch-okx naksin xu’j qe b’an chayolin tuj qyol tnejil maj te tk’ub’ qchmon qib’a tuj jun temb’l te b’inchal jun qximb’itza, nkub’ qchmon qib’a chaqilx ab’qi chuk’il qe txjali MUA, ix jatzin tnejil maj nkub’ qchmon qib’a  te b’inchal qximb’itza chuk’il qe xjal te k’ab’ chyol, tuj tyol a’m (español) ex tuj qyol (Mam).

• The MUA Fotonovela project was carried out, integrating Spanish-speaking women and Mam women working together to express themselves through art.

       O b’ant jun aq’unt te tib’lal  pakab’ tu’n MUA ex chu’n qe xuj qe nchayolin tyol a’m ex qe xu’j te tu qyol o ch-aq’nan junx tun xi chman jun kximb’itz tu’n jun ja b’ant chu’n.

If you know of a Mam-speaking woman who needs support or wants to join the Mam Group, you can call or text (510) 905-9334 Monday through Friday between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm.

Qa ttzqin tey jun xuj b’an yolin tuj qyol ex taj jun onb’il ex qa ta’j tz’okx tuj jun k’loj xuj te tuj qyol, b’an tzaj q’ajt tey ex qa jaka tzaj tq’on tey jun tpaka’b’(mensaje) tu’j (510) 905-9334 de lunes a viernes te 10:00 am a 2:00pm.