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 feel so happy to be part of the feeding program and have the opportunity to write a little about me. My name is Dulce Esther Violeta Cua Guzman. I was born on December 29, 2016, and I will be turning 9 this year. I am a second-grade student. The things that I like the most to do are: jumping rope, sleeping, drawing, and going to the park. I am in good health. I like the color pink. My favorite animal is the cat, so I have one at home, and I love to eat fried chicken. I only live with my mother and my little brother since my parents decided to separate. Currently, my father does not live with us but he continues supporting our family by working in a car tinting business, and he keeps in touch with me. His name is Raymundo Alfonso Cua Siquic. My mother’s name is Yenifer Yojana Guzman Lopez, and she does her best to supply our needs by selling second hand clothes and plastic toppers. She does it from home through online sales. She also does her household chores and takes care of us. My family and I are members of a Christian church called Esmirna.

We do not have our own house. We live in a rented house made of block walls, tin sheet roof and concrete floor; my mother pays Q 500.00 quetzals ($ 66.00) per month. The house has several rooms, but we only use one of them because there are more people living in the same house. We do not have a separate kitchen, so we cook in the same room. There are running water and electricity. We mainly need a bed at the moment. I walk 25 minutes to get to the feeding program. I say goodbye for now until next time.

God bless you!

Dulce Esther Violeta Cua Guzman

Translated by: Lucia Gravez/AAC Secretary