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 fondly greet you, hoping you find my letter engaging. My full name is Maria Yesenia Daleyza Jimon Toj, and I was born on January 27, 2020. Luckily, I am a healthy girl. I am in pre-kinder. I love playing with my dolls in my free time. My favorite food is fried chicken. I like the color pink, and my favorite animals are hens. I am an only child. My parents are Nicolas Jimon Alvarado and Elena Leticia Toj Garcia. My father traveled to the United States about one year ago. Fortunately, he is doing well and works hard on a farm to support our family. Please pray for my father so that the Almighty takes care of him. On the other hand, my mother is a housewife and embroiders traditional clothes. She also raises and sells chickens and pigs to contribute to the expenses.

As for our spiritual life, we attend the Catholic Church. My mother and I live at my grandparents' house. We still have our great-grandmother with us. Some of my uncles and aunts also live with us. The house is made of adobe with metal sheet roofs and ceramic floors. It has two rooms and an improvised kitchen made of metal sheets and wood. There is electricity, but no running water at home. However, we get water from a nearby spring. I am glad because I am already enrolled in the feeding program. I live about one and a half hours away, so I usually walk with my mother or grandmother to get there. Until next time!

Huge hugs,

Maria Yesenia Daleyza Jimon Toj

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala