My Story

Pasojoc is an area located high on the side of a mountain in the state of Quiche, Guatemala. Life in this area is very difficult and very isolated from the outside world. It is more than a two hour walk to the nearest market town of Zacualpa. Pasojoc is a farming area where corn and black beans, the staple elements in their diet, are the major crops. The Quiche Mayans who inhabit this area trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization. They normally speak a Mayan dialect called Quiche - however, Spanish is becoming more common. Very little money ever changes hands in this area as they live on a barter system.

Hello! I want to start this letter praying for bountiful blessings for you. My full name is Julio Alex Grabiel Gomez Riz, and I was born on December 9, 2020. I still do not attend school, so I stay home. I have a lot of fun playing soccer and with my toy cars. My favorite food is fried chicken. I like the color blue. My favorite animals are sheep. Now, let me tell you about my family. My mother’s name is Catarina Gomez Riz. She is a single parent and works hard in a tortilleria business in the city to cover our needs. Our priorities are food, clothes, and shoes. She usually visits my siblings and me every three months. I have one brother and one sister.

While she works, my grandmother takes care of us. Her name is Candelaria Riz Gutierrez. She is a healthy 57-year-old woman. Besides doing the housework, she raises and sells chicken, pigs, and sheep. About my biological father, let me tell you that he abandoned my mother when he found out she was pregnant with me. That is why I only have my mother’s last name. My family and I attend a nearby Christian Church. The house where we live belongs to my grandparents. Some of my aunts and uncles also live there. It is made of adobe with metal sheet roofs and dirt floors. It has two rooms, a separate kitchen, electricity, and running water. We have one dog and one cat as pets at home. The feeding program is about 15 minutes away from my house. So, we usually walk to get there. Thank you so much for reading my story!

Kisses and hugs,

Julio Alex Grabiel Gomez Riz

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala