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.

Good morning! My name is Nelson Brayan Hernadez Chavez and I am 6 years old. I was born on February 15, 2020 in Zacualpa, Quiche. I am in good health and I am in kindergarten this year. I enjoy doing my homework from classes and playing soccer. I love the color blue and the dove is my favorite animal. I like to eat noodles and rice. My brother Kevin Oscar also belongs to this program. We eat our lunch in the local school from Pasojoc I.  We walk fifteen minutes to come to the Feeding Program and we enjoy attending.

I live with my parents and they are in good health. My mother`s name is Marta Chavez Tzoy and my father`s name is Camilo Hernandez Grave. I have two brothers and one sister. My mother dedicates her time to the family and household duties. Moreover, she is a weaver and raises hens and pigs to sell. We also have a cow, a dog and a pig as a domestic animal. My father is a day laborer and he also travels to the coast for two months at the end of the year to pick coffee beans for the season harvest to earn extra money to sustain the family because sometimes the money he earns is not enough to cover every need. As a needy family, our priority needs are groceries, clothing, shoes and corn. We would like to have some chicks because we have enough space in the house for them. The house belongs to my father and it consists of two adobe rooms with tin sheet roof and dirt floors. We also have a separated kitchen. We have electricity and we get water from a well. My father pays the electricity service monthly. We are believers and we attend the Life Christian Church. I hope you enjoy listening to my personal information. Blessings to you!

Sincerely yours,

Nelson Brayan Hernandez Chavez

Translated By: Gladys de Catavi, AAC Secretary-Antigua