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 Brenda Ildelfonso Jimon. I was born on January 22, 2010, and I am 11 years old. I am a healthy girl, and I am in fifth grade this year. I listen to music in my free time. I love red, and I like cats. My favorite food is chicken soup. I have 6 brothers. I live about one hour away from the feeding program; my brothers are part of the program too. We are attending the Catholic Church. Thank God, my family is in good health.

My father’s name is Herman Ildelfonso Ajqui, and he works as a farmer and day laborer; he also goes to clean coffee plantations at the coast for some months to improve the income. My mother’s name is Isabel Jimon Garcia, and she raises hens and sheep to help my father financially. We live in our own house made of adobe with a tin sheet roof and dirt floor; it has two rooms and one kitchen. We have electricity service but no running water, so we get it from a water well. This is my personal information, and I hope you can find it interesting.

Hugs and kisses

Brenda Ildelfonso Jimon

Translated by: Loyda de Osorio/AAC Secretary, Antigua