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 full name is Abdy Eliseo Garcia Riz. I was born on May 17, 2019 and I am a healthy boy. I love eating eggs and my favorite animals are cats. I like the color green, and I enjoy playing soccer. My mother`s name is Glendy Maritza Garcia Riz, and she earns a living by working in the tortillas business in Guatemala City. My maternal grandmother Nazaria Riz Jimon takes care of me while my mother is working. She does the housework duties, and she also raises and sells hens. Thankfully, my mother and grandmother are doing well. My mother is the only one that sustains me because my father is not present in my life. I know nothing about him because he never recognized me legally. We are a needy family, so our current needs are groceries, school supplies and clothing. I take my lunch at the local school from Pasojoc I and I walk for thirty minutes to come. We have hens, turkeys and cows at home, but my grandmother would like to have some chicks because we have enough space for them.

I live in my maternal grandmother`s house, and we have two rooms that are made of adobe walls, tin sheet roof and cemented floors. We have running water and electricity. My grandmother and mother share the monthly payments for the electricity. We believe in God and we attend the Christian Church. Well, I will say goodbye to you for now, but I hope you send me your news soon. Blessings to you!

Lots of love,

Abdy Eliseo Garcia Riz

Translated By: Gladys de Catavi, AAC Secretary-Antigua