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! My full name is Marta Livia Morente Ajqui, and I am excited to greet you through this letter. I was born on February 5, 2021. I still do not attend school because of my age. My favorite pastime is playing with my dolls. I like the color pink. My favorite animals are chickens. I love having fried chicken or chicken broth for my meals. Fortunately, I am a healthy girl. I live with my parents and siblings. I have four brothers and two sisters. My father is Jacinto Morente Garcia. He works as a farmer and day laborer in our village. On the other hand, my mother keeps busy doing the chores. Her name is Gregoria Ajqui Tzoy. She raises chickens and pigs at home. She occasionally sells them to contribute to the expenses. We are a low-income family, and our priorities are clothes and food. We attend a Charismatic Catholic Church. The house where we live is ours. It is made of adobe with a metal sheet roof and a dirt floor. It has two rooms and an improvised kitchen made of metal sheets and wood. Luckily, there is electricity and running water at home. The feeding program is about 40 minutes away from where I live. My older siblings and I usually walk to get there. This is all for now, but I hope you found my story engaging.

With much love,

Marta Livia Morente Ajqui

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala