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 Martina Marleny de la Cruz Franco. I was born on August 14, 2020 in Zacualpa, Quiche, and I am 4 years old. I am a healthy girl. I am not enrolled at school this year due to my young age. I like pink, and I love hens. I spend my spare time playing with toy dishes at home. My favorite food is fried chicken. I have two brothers and one sister. Two of them are part of the Feeding program and we walk five minutes to come.  As a family, we are not attending any church. I live under the care of my parents and thankfully they are in good health. My father’s name is Carlos de la Cruz Gutierrez. He works as a farmer and day laborer. In addition, he travels to the coast to pick coffee beans once a year for three months during the harvest season. My mother’s name is Juana Franco Jimon, and she is a housewife and takes care of our family. Moreover, she raises some hens and one pig at home. As a humble family, our current needs are groceries.

We live in our own house. It has two rooms and one separated kitchen. Our house is made of adobe, tin sheet roof and dirt floors. We do not have running water. We get it from a nearby river by connecting a hose. We have electricity and my father pays the service monthly. We would like to have some chicks because we have enough space in the house for them. This is my personal information, and I hope you it interesting. God bless you greatly!

Huge hugs,

Martina Marleny de la Cruz Franco

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