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.

Special regards from Pasojoc I! I am Yoselin Pamela Chavez Tzoy, and it is such a great pleasure to greet you through this letter. By the grace of the Lord, I am a healthy girl. I was born on December 5, 2017, so I am 8 years old. My favorite color is green, I like rabbits, and my favorite food is fried chicken. I am in second grade at school and I am so happy to be part of the feeding program. It is a great blessing to have delicious meals that the LW staff serves at school. To get there, I usually walk for fifteen minutes from my house. I tell you that I have one sister, but no brothers. My mother’s name is Catarina Glenda Chavez Tzoy. She is a single mother and works in a tortilleria business in the city to support our family. She visits me every three months. Most of our needs are groceries.

Unfortunately, my biological father is not part of my life since he abandoned us before I was born. While my mother works, I live under the care of my grandparents. My grandmother’s name is Ana Tzoy. She is a housewife and weaves typical clothes to contribute to the expenses. I enjoy helping her with her duties in my free time, although I also have a lot of fun playing with my dolls. She also raises chickens for our consumption. We are memebers of Christian Life Church; my family and I live in our own three-room house with a separated kitchen. It is made of adobe with a metal tin sheet roof and dirt floor. We have electricity and running water at home. It is time to say goodbye, but I kindly ask you to pray for my family, especially for my grandmother because she suffers from high blood pressure. See you later!

With much love,

Yoselin Pamela Chavez Tzoy

Translated by: Hillary Popol, A-A-C Secretary / Guatemala