PA1964

Pasojoc is an area located high on the side of a mountain in the state of Quiché, Guatemala.  Life in this area is very difficult and very isolated from the outside world.  It is more than a two-hour walk to the nearest market town of Zacualpa.  Pasojoc is a farming area where corn and black beans, the staple elements in their diet, are the major corps.  The Quiché Indians who inhabit this area trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization.  They normally speak an Indian dialect called Quiché - however, Spanish is becoming more common.  Very little money ever changes hands in this area as they live on a barter system.

Hello, my name is Seilyn Samanta Chingo Lindo. I was born on May 12, 2015 and I am four years old. I am a basically healthy little girl. I am not attending school yet because I am still too young, I spend my time playing with dolls. My favorite color is pink and my favorite animal is the hen. The food that I like to eat the most is chicken with rice. My favorite fruit is papaya. I have one brother and two sisters. My sisters are also registered in the feeding program. My mother is the one who brings me to the feeding program and we walk about 15 minutes to get to the feeding program. My father’s name is Nazario Chingo and he is a farmer. He usually works as a day laborer. When he does not find work in our town, he travels to work at the coast. My mother’s name is Aura Lindo and she is a housewife. She raises some domestic animals such as chickens, pigs and sheep. We do not have our own house, so we live in my paternal grandparents’ house. My grandparents share their house and the expenses with us. The house is made of adobe with a tin sheet roof and concrete floor. It has two rooms, a separate kitchen and electricity. We do not have running water, so we get it from a natural water source with a hose. My family does not attend a church yet.

With much love and many blessings,

Seilyn Samanta Chingo Lindo

Translated by: Lidia Vasquez / AAC Guatemala