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.

Thank you for taking the time to read my personal information through this letter. This is Juana Brendy Franco Garcia and I am 8 years old. I was born in Zacualpa, Quiche on December 20, 2016. I am a healthy girl and in my spare time I play with toy dishes. I love pink, and my favorite meal is fried chicken. I like horses.   Unfortunately, I am repeating the first grade. I have two brothers and five sisters, and one of my sisters is part of the Feeding Center. We only walk six minutes to come. We are a needy family and our current needs are groceries and shoes. As a family, we are not attending any church.

My father`s name is Carlos Franco Simaj and my mother`s name is Micaela Garcia de la Cruz. She raises hens and goats to sell and earn some money to contribute to the home expenses while my father works as a farmer and day laborer. Furthermore, he travels to the coast to pick coffee beans for one month, and then he comes to visit us. He stays at home for fifteen days, and after that, he returns to his job again. Thankfully, my parents are in good health. We live in our own house and we share it with my aunt. The house consists of two rooms with a separated kitchen. The rooms are made of adobe, tile roof and dirt floors. We have running water and my father pays for the service once a year. We also have electricity and he pays the bill once a month. We also have domestic animals like hens, turkeys and goats. By the grace of God, we have enough space at home, and we would like to have some chicks. Thank you for your attention and may God bless you greatly!

Kisses and hugs,

Juana Brendy Franco Garcia

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