PA1983

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 Jeimy Zuleica Rodriguez de la Cruz. I was born on March 10, 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, so I spend my time playing tag and with dolls.  My favorite color is yellow and my favorite animals are baby chicks. The food that I like to eat the most is beef soup. My favorite fruit is the apple. I have one brother and one sister. My brother is also registered in the feeding program. My mother is the one who brings us to the feeding program and we walk about an hour to get there. My father’s name is Eduardo Rodriguez and he is living and working in the United States. He always sends us monthly support. My mother’s name is Juana De La Cruz and she is a housewife. Our house is made of adobe with a tin sheet roof. It has four rooms, a separate kitchen, running water and electricity. We share the house with my aunt, Sonia and my grandmother, Eulalia. My grandmother sells granizadas (shaved ice with fruit flavor) and different kinds of fruit. My mother, aunt and grandmother support each other with the home expenses. My family attends a Pentecostal Church called Prince of Peace.

With much love and many blessings,

Jeimy Zuleica Rodriguez de la Cruz

Translated by: Lidia Vasquez / AAC Guatemala