My Story

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 Irma Leticia Garcia Zetino. I was born on February08, 2016, and I am 5 years old. I am a healthy girl, and I am not attending school yet due to my age. I keep at home playing with my stuffed animals and soccer. I love the color white, and I like cats. My favorite food is rice soup. I have eight sisters and one brother. I live about 25 minutes away from the feeding program, and I always walk to the program accompanied by my siblings who are also part of it. Thank God, my family is in good health. We are not attending a church at the moment.

My father’s name is Ignacio Garcia Pu, and he works as a farmer and day laborer to cover our needs. My mother’s name is Magdalena Toj Garcia, and she dedicates her time to the family and raises sheep and hens. We live in our own house made of adobe, and we have one room and one kitchen. We do not have electricity, but my father’s brother shares it with us; our houses are near each other, and we take turns paying the bill. A neighbor has a natural spring on his piece of land so he provides water for us; we use a hose to bring it to our house, and we pay him for it. This is my personal information, and I hope you can find it interesting.

With much love

Irma Leticia Garcia Zetino

Translated by: Loyda de Osorio/AAC Secretary, Antigua