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! this is Dailyn Samanda Portuguez Ajqui and I was born on August 21, 2022 in Zacualpa, Quiche. I am a healthy four-year-old girl. and due to my young age, I am not attending school yet.  I stay at home and enjoy playing with my dolls. My favorite color is brown. I like to eat fried chicken and the pig is my favorite animal. My only brother also is registered in the Feeding Program too and we walk about ten minutes to come to the local school from Pasojoc I where we take our lunch. My mother accompanies us.

My mother is Santos Higinia Ajqui Grave. She sells her domestic animals to contribute to the home expenses while my father earns a living as a farmer and day laborer. We congregate in the Door of Salvation Christian Church. We live in my paternal grandmother`s house. My paternal grandmother and uncles also live there. We have two adobe rooms with tile roof and dirt floor. We have one separated kitchen. We get water from a natural spring by connecting a hose and my paternal great-grandmother gives us the electricity. My relatives share the payments for the electricity and we pay for the water yearly. My mother has hens, pigs and a cow, but she would like to have some chicks because we have enough space in the house. We are a humble family, so our current needs are corn, groceries and clothing. Thankfully, my parents and the rest of my family are doing well. This is all for now, so I say good bye to you. A bunch of kisses for you!

Huge hugs,

Dailyn Samanda Portuguez Ajqui

Translated By: Gladys de Catavi, AAC Secretary-Antigua