PT0051                                     

Pasojoc III, where your child lives, is located in an extremely remote area of the mountains in Quiche, Guatemala.  Life in this area is very difficult and very isolated from the outside world.  It is a 3-hour walk to the nearest market town.  The people who inhabit the area are Quiche Indians who can trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization.  They normally speak an Indian dialect called Quiche, however, Spanish is becoming more common.  The climate is basically warm, but it can get very cold at night.  Houses in this area are typically constructed of adobe with tin sheet or tile roofs and dirt floors.  Pasojoc III is an area rich with natural resources.  It is a farming area where the inhabitants grow staples such as corn, beans and other types of vegetables.  Many families also raise domestic animals such as sheep, goats, cows and chickens.  Many of the families travel to the coast for several months each year to find work cutting cane or coffee.  Sadly, many of the children do not go to school because of lack of economic resources and because of the sheer distance they would have to walk to reach school.  As a result, the majority of the people are unable to read or write.  Many of the teenagers leave home at an early age to search for employment in other areas in Guatemala.

Hello, my name is Alexandra Carmelina Garera Jimon.  I was born on April 24, 2014 and I am five years old.  I am a healthy child.  I have two brothers and three sisters.  Some of my siblings also attend the feeding program.  We walk about 15 minutes to get to the program here in Pasojoc III, but we have to walk about an hour to get to the program in Pasojoc I.  My father’s name is Tomas and he is a farmer.  During our school vacations, the whole family travels to the coast to work during the coffee harvest.  My mother’s name is Juana and she is a housewife.  She also takes care of some sheep, hens, one cow, one pig, four dogs and a cat.  We own the house in which we live.  It is made of adobe with a tin roof and dirt floor.  It is one room with a separate kitchen.  The kitchen is made of small wood boards.  We do not have water or electricity.  We get our water from a river that is close to our home.  We use candles for lighting.  I am not in school yet, so I spend my time playing with my dolls.  My favorite color is pink and my favorite animals are sheep.  The foods that I like best are apples and black beans with eggs.  My family attends a Charismatic chuch.

With much love and many blessings,

Alexandra Carmelina Garcia Jimon

Translated by: Edwina Lyons/AAC Missionary