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.

I send you all the best through this and I hope you like to read my personal information. My name is Hilda Griselda Garcia Mendez and I am 8 years old. I was born in Zacualpa, Quiche on February 3, 2017.  I am in 1^st grade and I like to play with toy dishes in my spare time. My favorite meal is avocado and I love dogs. I prefer purple.  I have three brothers and three sisters and one of my brothers is part of this project.  We walk 30 minutes to come to the Feeding Center and also my nephew goes with us. As a family, we are not attending any church.

I live under my parents’ care. My father`s name is Mario Garcia Grave and he is working as a day laborer by sowing corn. He sustains the family, but my mother weaves typical blouses to sell and support my father with the home expenses. Unfortunately, she suffers from pain in her right eye. She visited the doctor but the problem continues although she is taking medicines. Her name is Estela Luciana Mendez Jimon. Our current needs are groceries and corn. Thankfully, my father and the whole family are in good health. I live in my father`s house, and my cousin lives with us. We have three rooms and a separated kitchen. The rooms are made of adobe walls, tile roof and dirt floors. We get the water from our natural spring and we have solar panels to obtain electricity. We have hens, sheep and cows at home, but we would like to have some chicks because we have enough space for them. It was a pleasure to tell you my story and I hope you find interesting it. Thank you and may God bless you!

Sincerely yours,

Hilda Griselda Garcia Mendez

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