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 Francisco Leonardo Hernandez Chivalan. I was born on August 12, 2021 in Zacualpa, Quiche, and I am 3 years old. I am a healthy boy. I am not enrolled at school this year due to my age. I like green, and I love cows. Eggs is my favorite meal. I stay at home playing with toy cars. I have four brothers and they are part of the Feeding program. We walk only two 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 Hilario Hernandez de la Cruz. He travels to the coast to pick coffee beans three times per year in order to support us financially. My mother’s name is Santos Chivalan de la Cruz, and she is a housewife and takes care of our family while my father travels to the coast. Moreover, she raises hens to sell and get some income. As a humble family, our current needs are groceries, clothes and shoes.

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 and we get it from our own well. We use candles at night due to a lack of electricity.  We would like to have some chicks because we have enough space in the house for them. I hope you like to read my personal information. I send you all my love!

Warm wishes,

Francisco Leonardo Hernandez Chivalan

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