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 Daniel Alejandro Hernandez Simaj. I was born on October 17, 2020, and I am 4 years old. I am a healthy boy, and I am not enrolled at school this year due to my young age. I enjoy playing soccer and with toy cars at home. I love red and my favorite animal is the dog. I like to eat fried chicken. I have 1 brother and 4 sisters. Three of them are part of the Feeding Program. We walk about one hour to come to the feeding center. We are not attending any church. I am under the care of my parents. My father’s name is Camilo Hernandez de la Cruz. He lives with the family, but currently he is not providing for our financial needs because he suffers from some pains in his body because a snake bit him two years ago. He visited the doctor, and he is under medical treatment. He receives an injection every month to calm the pain. My mother’s name is Olga Simaj Riz. She lives with us, and she is a housewife. Moreover, she raises domestic animals to sell and get some income. In addition, she travels to the coast from November to January to pick coffee beans because she is the only one that supports us financially. Thankfully, my mother is in good health.

We live in my father’s house. The house has one big room made of cane with a nylon and tin sheet roof and dirt floor. We sleep and cook in the same room. We do not have running water, but we get it from a nearby river by connecting a hose. We use candles at night because we do not have electricity. We have hens and dogs at home. We are a needy family, and our current needs are shoes, clothes and a wardrobe. 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.

Strong hugs!

Daniel Alejandro Hernandez Simaj

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