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! It is such a blessing to share a little bit about my life with you. My name is Keytli Maygaidi Garcia Ruiz, and I fondly greet you from Pasojoc one. I was born on July 20, 2019. I am a healthy 6-year-old girl, and I love playing with my toy dishes. I am in kindergarten, and my favorite color is pink. I like ducks and what I love eating the most is refried black beans. I am so happy because I can attend the feeding program alongside my sisters. I have four sisters, but no brothers. To get there, we usually walk for one hour from where I live. Luckily, we can also enjoy our meals at school, which is a great blessing because it is only about a ten-minute walk from my house. I tell you that my parents do their best to provide us with all our family needs. Some of our main needs are clothes and food, especially corn.

My father’s name is Pedro Garcia Garcia. He works in the field as a farmer, while my mother is dedicated to taking care of our family. My mother’s name is Erica Yolanda Ruiz Garcia de Garcia. Fortunately, everybody is doing well. We are a Christian family and attend Jesus Christ Church-The Good Pastor. The house where we live belongs to my grandparents. It is made of adobe walls with tin sheet roof and dirt floor. It has five rooms and a kitchen; we only use one room of the house because some of my uncles and their families live there, too. We have electricity thanks to our neighbor, who shares the service with us. We contribute to cover the expenses monthly. There is no running water at home, but there is a nearby spring from we can get water by using a hose. This is all for now, but I hope to hear from you soon.

In the name of Jesus

Keytli Maygaidi Garcia Ruiz

Translated by: Hillary Popol, A-A-C Secretary/Antigua