My Story

PT0048                                     

Pasojoc III, where your child lives, is located in an extremely remote area of the mountains in Quiche, Guatemala.  Life in this area is very difficult and very isolated from the outside world.  It is a 3-hour walk to the nearest market town.  The people who inhabit the area are Quiche Indians who can trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization.  They normally speak an Indian dialect called Quiche, however, Spanish is becoming more common.  The climate is basically warm, but it can get very cold at night.  Houses in this area are typically constructed of adobe with tin sheet or tile roofs and dirt floors.  Pasojoc III is an area rich with natural resources.  It is a farming area where the inhabitants grow staples such as corn, beans and other types of vegetables.  Many families also raise domestic animals such as sheep, goats, cows and chickens.  Many of the families travel to the coast for several months each year to find work cutting cane or coffee.  Sadly, many of the children do not go to school because of lack of economic resources and because of the sheer distance they would have to walk to reach school.  As a result, the majority of the people are unable to read or write.  Many of the teenagers leave home at an early age to search for employment in other areas in Guatemala.

Hello, my name is Paula Glendi Grave Ponce.  I was born on July 28, 2015 and I am four years old.  I am a healthy child.  I have three brothers and four sisters.  Four of my siblings also attend the feeding program and we walk about 15 minutes to get to the program.  My family owns the house in which we live, It has three rooms and a separate kitchen.  The house is made of adobe with a tin roof and a dirt floor.  We have water and electricity.  My father’s name is Nazario and he is a farmer.  He also travels to the coast to work during the coffee harvest and he takes my oldest siblings with him.  My mother’s name is Estela and she is a housewife.  We have some domestic animals such as hens, pigs and sheep that we sell when we have some needs.  I am not in school yet, so I spend my time playing with my dolls.  My favorite colors are red and brown, and my favorite animal is the cat.  The foods that I like best are bananas, mangoes, fried chicken and caldo de pollo (traditional chicken soup made with vegetables).  My family attends Prince of Peace Church.

With much love and many blessings,

Paula Glendi Grave Ponce

Translated by: Edwina Lyons/AAC Missionary