My Story

Pasojoc III, where your child lives, is located in an extremely remote area of the mountains in Quiche, Guatemala.  Life in this area is very difficult and very isolated from the outside world. It is a 3-hour walk to the nearest market town.  The people who inhabit the area are Quiche Mayans who can trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization.  They normally speak a Mayan dialect called Quiche; however, Spanish is becoming more common.  The climate is basically warm, but it can get very cold at night.  Houses in this area are typically constructed of adobe with tin sheet or tile roofs and dirt floors.  Pasojoc III is an area rich with natural resources.  It is a farming area where the inhabitants grow staples such as corn, beans and other types of vegetables. Many families also raise domestic animals such as sheep, goats, cows and chickens.

 Hello, my name is Cesar Enrique Simaj Franco. I was born on December 4, 2015, and I am 8 years old. I am a healthy boy, but sometimes I suffer from my nerves. I have not visited the doctor due to a lack of money.  I am in 2^nd grade at school this year. I enjoy playing soccer at home. I love red and my favorite animals are sheep. I like to eat fried chicken. I have 2 brothers and 1 sister. One of them is part of the Feeding Program. We walk about fifteen minutes to come to the feeding center. We are not attending any church. I am under only my mother`s care because my father is living and working in the United States since six years ago. He was providing for our economic needs, but he has not been doing it for the past year. We do not have communication with him.  His name is Sabino Simaj Quino. My mother’s name is Estela Franco Poncio. She lives with us, and she is a housewife. Moreover, she raises domestic animals to sell and get some income to cover every financial need. Thankfully, my mother is in good health.

We live in my uncle´s house. His name is Ramiro Franco. My grandparents live with us and my grandfather`s name is Tomas Franco. Thankfully, we do not pay rent. It has only one room and a separated kitchen. We share the kitchen with my grandfather. The house is made of blocks, concrete roof and cemented floors. We have running water and electricity. My mother shares the services payment with my grandfather. We have hens and cows at home. We are a needy family, and our current needs are groceries. We would like to have some chicks because we have enough space in our house. This is my personal information, and I hope you find it interesting. My mother provided the information to the LW teacher for my enrollment.

Warm wishes!

Cesar Enrique Simaj Franco

Translated by: Gladys Chavez. / A-A-C Secretary-Antigua