My Story

Pasojoc is an area located high on the side of a mountain in the state of Quiche, 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 Quiche Mayans who inhabit this area trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization. They normally speak a Mayan dialect called Quiche - 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 Sandra Meliza Ajqui Garcia, it is a pleasure to greet you by this means, and I hope everything goes well with you and your family. Today, I want to share part of my life with you. I am in good health condition, and I turned 10 years old on March 10^th. I am attending 4^th grade this year, and I love playing with dolls in my free time. I like red, my favorite animal is the cow, and chicken broth is my favorite meal. I enjoy attending the feeding program. My mother comes with me to take care of me since we live 30 minutes away from it, and we get there on foot. 

Now, I want to open my heart with you about my family situation; my father has two wives at the same time. He works by looking after his cows which he sells to cover both of his families’ needs. I have one brother and one sister, but I also have my other siblings who are also my cousins because his two wives are blood sisters; my mother and my aunt are aware of and agree with this situation. My father spends time with his two families because we live close to each other but in different houses.  My mother is a housewife, and she also cultivates black beans for selling to contribute economically to our family. Our house has two rooms and a separate kitchen; it is made of adobe walls with tin sheet roof and cement floor. We have electricity, which is paid for every month, but we do not have running water, so we carry it from a water spring. At home, we also have hens and turkeys. Some of our needs are groceries, but we put our trust in God, and we have the certainty that He will provide what we need. We are members of a Christian Church called Prince of Peace. Before saying goodbye, let me tell you that all this information was given by my mother for my enrollment.

Many Blessings,

Sandra Meliza Ajqui Garcia

Translated by: Luisa Reyes de Solis, A-A-C Secretary/Antigua