My Story

Pasojoc is an area located high on the side of a mountain in the state of Quiche, 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 Quiche Mayans who inhabit this area trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization. They normally speak a Mayan dialect called Quiche - 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 Mardoqueo Ezequias Tzoy Gomez. I am so glad to write you this letter, so you can get to know me better. I am in good health. I am 5 years old. I was born on January 4^th, 2020, and I am not studying yet due to my age. I love playing with toy cars at home. My favorite color is orange, what I like to eat the most is hen broth, and my favorite animal is the cat. I have a big family. I have two brothers and nine sisters, and five of my siblings are also registered at the feeding program, so we all together walk one hour to be there, and my big sister looks after us on the way. 

Thankfully, my parents are in good health; my father struggles to cover our needs by working as a day laborer every day. My mother works at home, does the cleaning and takes care of us. We live in our own house that is made of adobe walls, tin sheet roof, and cement floor; it has four rooms, a kitchen, electricity which my father pays every month, and we get water from a river with a hose. We share the house with my aunt, and we also have domestic animals like hens, a pig, a dog and a cat. Our needs are groceries and clothes, but we put everything in God’s hands, and we trust He will provide what we need. We are members of the Catholic Church. Let me tell you that my big sister, Catarina, provided this information for my enrollment. Thank you for your attention and for taking the time to read my story. I will be glad to hear from you soon, and I wish you many blessings.

Kisses and Hugs,

Mardoqueo Ezequias Tzoy Gomez

Translated by: Luisa Reyes de Solis, A-A-C Secretary/Antigua