PA1966

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 Sergio Dario Morente Simaj. I was born on October 21, 2014 and I am five years old. I am a basically healthy little boy. I am not attending school yet because I am still too young, so I spend my time playing with balls and toy cars. My favorite color is red and my favorite animal is the dog. The food that I like to eat the most is fried chicken. My favorite fruit is watermelon. I have three brothers and two of them are registered in the feeding program. My father’s name is Carlos Morente and he is a farmer. He usually works as a day laborer. My mother’s name is Catarina Simaj and she is a housewife. She raises chickens and sells them when we have some needs. My whole family travels to work to the coast during the coffee harvest from October to December. We live about two hours walk from the feeding program. We have our own house made of adobe with a tin sheet roof and dirt floor. The house has two rooms and a separate kitchen. We do not have electricity or running water. We get our water from a well and we use candles for lighting at night. My family attends a church called Jesus, the Good Way.

With much love and many blessings,

Sergio Dario Morente Simaj

Translated by: Lidia Vasquez / AAC Guatemala