i strongly agree with this statement. Everyone has different childhood experiences no matter where they grow up. Two children could be neighbors and have VERY different childhood experiences. It does not matter where you live, how old you are, the color of your skin, the color of your eyes, etc. we all grow up differently. Everyone grows up with different childhood experiences.
to tell when and where the story takes place to explain how difficult it is to travel in some climates to show how dangerous it is to leave Honduras to introduce the main character and describe his traits.