My Story

Chixocol, where your child lives, is a very small village nestled in a mountain valley in the state of Quiché, Guatemala. Life in this state is very difficult. Most families live in one-room adobe houses with dirt floors and a small, attached kitchen. The extremely poor live in houses made of corn stalks. In the past few years, electricity and water have become available to most people in the area - however, indoor plumbing is very rare. Most of the families are farmers or shepherds and live off the fruits of their labors. Public education is available for those who can afford it and consider it of value.  Life in Quiché is always a challenge.

I cordially greet you with gratitude for giving me the opportunity to share a little bit of myself through this letter. My name is Manuel Javier Panjoj Nix, and I am now 5 years old. I am not at school yet but I enjoy playing toy cars at home. I was born on April 25, 2019.  My favorite color is green and the animal that I like the most is the cat. I like to eat eggs and rice. I enjoy playing with toy cars. I love my family and I feel blessed with them. My father struggles to support our family by driving a tuc-tuc (motocycle taxi). His name is Jose Panjoj Aguilar. My mother is Juana Nix Ordoñez, and she stays at home taking care of us. She also raises hens and one pig. We attend a Cristian church. I have four siblings and two of them are part of the feeding program.

We live in our own house. There is one room and a separate kitchen. The house is made of adobe and wood walls, tile roof and dirt floor. Thank God, we have electricity but not running water. My uncles share the running water with us and my father pays for it. I want to ask for your prayers for God to help us to get our own running water in the future. Our main needs at the moment are groceries and corn. It takes me about 30 minutes to get to the feeding program. My mother helped me to give my information. I say you good bye for now hoping to hear from you soon!

Kisses and hugs

Manuel Javier Panjoj Nix

Translated by: Lucia Gravez/AAC Secretary