My Story

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 Mayans who can trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization.  They normally speak a Mayan 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.

Hello, my name is Norma Estelina Garcia Chijal. I was born on April 16, 2016, and I am 8 years old. I am a healthy girl, and I am in 1^st grade at school this year. I enjoy playing dolls with my sisters at home. I love red and my favorite animals are rabbits. I like to eat white beans and scrambled eggs. I have three brothers and two sisters. I walk about one hour and a half to come to the feeding center; my sister is part of the program too. We are attending the Prince of Peace Church called New Pact. I am under the care of my parents. My father’s name is Genaro Garcia Grave who lives with the family and works as a farmer and day laborer. Moreover, he works weaving typical blouses to sell and get some income. My mother’s name is Maria Chijal Itzep. She lives with us, and she weaves typical blouses to sell. Both of my parents are in good health.

We live in my paternal grandfather’s house and my grandparents lives there. It has three rooms and one separated kitchen. We use only one room. The house is made of adobe, tile roof and dirt floor. We do not have running water, but we get it from a nearby river by connecting a hose. We have solar panels to get electricity, so we do not pay for these services. We have cows, hens, a cat and one dog at home. We are a needy family, and our priority needs are groceries. We would like to have some chicks because we have enough space in our house. This is my personal information, and I hope you find it interesting. My mother provided the information to the LW teacher for my enrollment. May God bless you!

Kisses and hugs!

Norma Estelina Garcia Chijal

Translated by: Gladys Chavez / A-A-C Secretary-Antigua