My Story

Nueva Esperanza, which means New Hope, is located in a slum area of Guatemala City, Guatemala. An extremely poor area, our program is squeezed in among the shanty dwellings built over an old city dump. Many houses in this area are without toilets or running water and are assembled with scrap wood, sheet metal, and cardboard. Zone 5, where Nueva Esperanza is located, is considered one of the most dangerous areas of Guatemala City. It is controlled by gangs and drug pushers. Robberies and murders are common in this area. Public education is available - however, many cannot afford it. Life in Zone 5 is very difficult.

Hello! I am glad to greet you in the name of Jesus and be able to tell you a little about me. I am Rodrigo Emiliano Alvarado Calderon. I was born on November 1, 2016. I am now 8 years old. I am a healthy boy and I am a 2^nd grade student. In my free time, I enjoy playing soccer, drawing and painting. My favorite color is sky blue. I love cats. A delicious dish for me is rice and beans. About my family: I would like to tell you that I live with my great-grandmother, Maria Romelia Cruz Lopez and my brother. She struggles to support me by working as a merchant selling typical candies, fruit and plastic toppers. My biological father never was legally responsible for me and I do not know anything about him. My biological mother is in jail and I not know if she will ever be released. My family attends the catholic church “San Jose”.

We live in our own house and we share it with my grandmother and aunt. It is made of block, tin sheet roof and concrete floor, with running water and electricity. There are four rooms and a separate kitchen. My grandmother helps to pay our services by working cleaning houses for others. We have a dog at home. Our greatest needs are groceries and a bed. I walk about 10 minutes from home to the feeding program. Thank you for taking the time to read my letter. See you later!

Kisses and hugs,

Rodrigo Emiliano Alvarado Calderon

Translated by: Lucia Gravez/AAC Secretary