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 Elicia Veronica de la Cruz Gutierrez. I was born on April 10, 2018, and I am 6 years old. I am a healthy girl. I am not enrolled at school this year due to my young age. I enjoy playing with dolls and singing at home. I love blue and my favorite animal is the rooster. I like to eat fried chicken. I have 3 brothers and 5 sisters and two of them are part of the Feeding Program. We walk about 5 minutes to come to the feeding center. As a family, we attend the Christian Church. I live under my parent´s care. My father´s name is Pedro de la Cruz de la Cruz. He provides for our economic needs by working as a farmer and day laborer.  Moreover, he travels to the coast from November to January to pick coffee beans during the harvest season in order to earn some money to cover our family needs. Thankfully, my parents are in good health. My mother’s name is Manuela Gutierrez Ventura. She lives with the family, and she is a housewife. Moreover, she raises hens and turkeys to sell and get some income.

We live in our own house. Thankfully, we do not pay rent. It has three rooms and a separated kitchen. The house is made of adobe, tin sheet roof and dirt floor. We have running water, and we use solar panels to get the electricity. My parents pay for the services once a year. We have domestic animals at home. This is my personal information, and I hope you find it interesting. My mother provided the information to the LW teacher for my enrollment.

Kisses and hugs!

Elicia Veronica de la Cruz Gutierrez

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