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! this is Daniel Elias de la Cruz Ajanel. I was born in Zacualpa Quiche and my birthdate is November 8, 2021 so I am 4 years old. I am not in school yet, due to my young age, but I stay at home playing with toy cars and balls. My favorite color is blue and I love to eat French fries. I like cows. I have one brother and four sisters and they are part of this project. We walk about thirty minutes to the Feeding Center. We are members of a charismatic group that belongs the Catholic Church and I live under my parents’ care. My father`s name is Pedro de la Cruz Garcia and he is working as a farmer and day laborer. In addition, he travels to the coast to cut sugar cane from November to May in order to earn extra money while my mother Sebastiana Ajanel Ordonez raises and sells her hens. She also supports my father with the home expenses. Thankfully, my parents and I are in good health and our priority needs are clothing and groceries.

We live in our own house. We have one room and a small and separated space to cook made of tin sheets. The room is made of adobe walls, tin sheet roof and dirt floors. We get the water from our natural spring, but we have electricity. My father pays for the service once a month. We have two cows, turkeys and hens, but we would like to have some chicks at home. Fortunately, we have enough space for them. Thank you for taking the time to read my information. May God bless you greatly.

Warm wishes,

Daniel Elias de la Cruz Ajanel

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