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, I send every kind of blessing to you in this morning. My full name is Ana Griselda Alicia Chavez Tzoy and I was born in Zacualpa, Quiche on May 30, 2020. I am 6 years old and I am in good health. I am in kindergarten. I like to do the homework from classes and I also like to play with dolls. I love pink, and hens are my favorite pet. I enjoy eating rice and beans. I have one sister and she also is enrolled in the Feeding Program. We eat our lunch in the local school from Pasojoc I. We walk for fifteen minutes to arrive there.

I want to tell you that my biological father is not present in my life and he never legally recognized me because he abandoned us, so I live under my maternal grandparent`s care. My grandmother takes care of me while my mother is working and she does the household duties. Her name is Ana Tzoy.  My mother`s name is Catarina Glenda Chavez Tzoy, and she is earning a living in the tortillas business in Escuintla town. She travels every two months. She stays at home for one month, and then she returns to her job. She sustains us financially, but sometimes the money she earns is not enough to cover our expenses. My current needs are groceries, corn, clothing and shoes. Thankfully, my mother, grandparents and I are doing well.

We believe in God, and currently, we are members of Prince of Peace Christian Church. We live in my maternal grandfather`s house and my grandparents live with us. We have two adobe rooms with a sheet roof and dirt floors. We do not have a separated kitchen. We have running water, and my grandparents pay for it yearly. We also have electricity and the service is paid monthly.  We have hens, pigs and a dog at home, but we would like to have some chicks and have enough space in the house for them.  Well, this is all for now, but I hope you like to read my personal information. Thank you for reading my personal information. I will say goodbye to you for now, but I would like to receive your news soon!

Huge hugs,

Ana Griselda Alicia Chavez Tzoy

Translated By: Gladys de Catavi, AAC Secretary-Antigua