My Story

PA1915

Pasojoc is an area located high on the side of a mountain in the state of Quiché, 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 Quiché Indians who inhabit this area trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization.  They normally speak an Indian dialect called Quiché - however, Spanish is becoming more common.  Very little money ever changes hands in this area as they live on a barter system.

Hello, my name is Imelda Jimena Luis Quino.  I was born on April 28, 2011 and I am 7 years old.  I am in good health, and I attend the Pasojoc feeding program.  My father’s name is Pedro and he is a farmer.  He also makes blouses to sell in order to help with our household expenses.  My mother’s name is Romelia and she is a housewife.  She also tends some sheep and cows.  My family does not travel to the coast to work during the coffee harvest.  We own the house in which we live.  It is adobe with a tin roof and a dirt floor.  The house has two rooms.  Our kitchen is actually a small area outside that does not have walls but is covered with a piece of tin.  We have electricity and running water.  My family owns a few domestic animals: turkeys, chickens, a catand a dog.  I have 2 brothers and 6 sisters, I walk with one of them to the feeding program.  I am in 1^st grade this year, and I love to go to school.  When I am not in school, I like to play with my dolls.  My favorite color is red, and my favorite animal is the dove.  The foods that I like to eat the most are papaya and fried chicken.  My family attends a Catholic Church. 

With much love and many blessings,

Imelda Jimena Luis Quino

Translated by: Edwina Lyons/AAC Missionary