PA1982

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 Lidia Paola Morente Gomez. I was born on January 22, 2016 and I am three years old. I am a basically healthy little girl. I am not attending school yet because I am still too young, so I spend my time drawing and playing with dolls. My favorite color is purple and my favorite animal is the rabbit. The food that I like to eat the most is fried chicken. My favorite fruit is the papaya. I have one brother. My mother is the one who brings me to the feeding program. We walk about 25 minutes to get there. My father’s name is Rodolfo Antonio Morente Gomez, but he does not live with us because he abandoned us about one year ago. He left with another woman. My mother’s name is Catarina Gomez and she is a housewife. She raises chickens that she sells when we have some needs. We live with my maternal grandparents and they are the ones who struggle to support us. My grandfather is a farmer and he usually works as a day laborer. My grandmother is a housewife and she also raises and sells some domestic animals. We live in my grandparents’ house. It is made of adobe with a tin sheet roof and concrete floor. The house has three rooms and a separate kitchen. My mother and I use one room. We have solar electricity and running water. My family attends a Catholic church.

With much love and many blessings,

Lidia Paola Morente Gomez

Translated by: Lidia Vásquez / AAC Guatemala