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.

My full name is Danilo Bernaldo Jacobo Portuguez Ajqui and I am a healthy five-year-old boy. I was born in Zacualpa, Quiche on September 28, 2020.  My pastime is play with toy cars at home. I am not studying yet because of my young age. I like blue color and hens are my favorite pets. I enjoy eating rice and beans. I only have one sister. I like to attend the Feeding Center and I only walk 5 minutes to arrive there. My mother accompanies me. My whole family and I are in good health and we are believers in God. We belong to the Christian Church. I am living under my mother`s care because my father is living and working in the United States. He works looking after cattle and sends us money every fifteen days to cover our family expenses. He also calls us every day. His name is Hugo Portuguez De La Cruz. My mother`s name is Santos Higinia Ajqui Grave and she dedicates her time to the family. She also does the housework. She also raises hens to sell and get some income, but sometimes the money is not enough to cover every expense, so we are in need of groceries. We are believers and we are persevering in the Christian Church.

We live in my paternal grandparents’ house and my grandfather Raymundo lives with us. We have three rooms and one separated kitchen, but we only use two of the rooms. The walls are made of adobe, tile roof and dirt floors. We have electricity and my grandfather pays monthly for the service while we get water from a nearby natural spring. We also have hens at home. Well, this is all for now and I hope you like to read my news. I send you many greetings. Please take care and have a nice day!

A bunch of hugs,

Danilo Bernaldo Jacobo Portuguez Ajqui

Translated by: Gladys Chavez, AAC Secretary-Antigua