Pasojoc
Guatemala
Child
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 crops. 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.
This is Juanita Yosenia Glendy Ruiz Calachij and I was born in Zacualpa, Quiche on March 28, 2019. I only have my mother`s last names because my father did not legally recognize me because he was working in Guatemala City when I was registered. I am 6 years old and I am in 1st grade at school. I love cats and pink. I like to play with dolls and I enjoy eating fried chicken. I am a healthy girl. We believe in God and we are members of Prince of Peace Christian Church. I live under my mother`s care because my father is living and working on the coast. He earns a living by cleaning coffee plantations and he is also a day laborer. He sends us money once a month and he always calls us. My mother Juana Ruiz Calachij is a housewife. She raises hens to sell and get some income. Unfortunately, she suffers from high blood pressure. She visited the doctor and is taking medicine. My father and siblings are in good health. I have two brothers and one sister. Two of them are registered in the Feeding Center and we walk 15 minutes to arrive there. As a family, we are from low resources and our current needs are groceries.
The house where we live belongs to my parents. We have two rooms made of adobe walls, tin sheet roof and dirt floors. We also have a separated kitchen. We get water from a nearby spring and we have electricity. My father pays monthly for the service. We also have hens at home. Thank you for reading my letter. I hope to have your news soon. I send you all the best!
Yours truly,
Juanita Yosenia Glendy Ruiz Calachij
Translated by: Gladys Chavez, AAC Secretary-Antigua
