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 Victor Emanuel Mendez Ponce and I was born in Joyabaj, Quiche on February 17, 2022. I am a healthy three year old child and I am not studying yet due to my young age. I stay at home and I play with balls. I like red, and my favorite meal is fried chicken. I love dogs.  I walk only ten minutes to the Feeding Center. We are members of New Pact Prince of Peace Christian Church. At the moment, my mother is living with me, but when she is working my grandmother is in charge of me. My mother`s name is Elsy Ponce Utzoy. She does the chores at home, but she earns a living by working in Guatemala City in the tortillas business. She is the only one that supports me financially because my father Lester Mendez Tzoy abandoned the family one year ago. He left to go to the United States and we do not know anything about him. By the grace of God, my mother is in good health and she struggles every day for me. Our priority needs are groceries and corn.

We live in my maternal grandparent`s house and we share it with my aunts and cousins. We have two rooms and one separated kitchen. The house is made of adobe walls, tin sheet roof and dirt floors. We get the water from a natural resource, and we use candles and lanterns for light at night. We have pigs and hens, so we would like to have some chicks. We have the space at home for them. Well, this is my personal information and I hope you like to read it. Blessings to you in the name of Jesus!

A bunch of hugs,

Victor Emanuel Mendez Ponce

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