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 blessed to be part of the feeding program, and be able to tell you a little about me. I am Hillary Vannessa Lopez Torres; I am now 8 years old. My birthdate is September 24, 2016. I love dogs, so I have one at home. My favorite color is pink. The food that I like the most is spaghetti. I enjoy playing toy dishes. I am a second-grade student. I am healthy. I have a family of three, my parents and me. They are Humberto Aroldo Lopez Toledo and Sindi Roxana Torres Ramos. I have no siblings at the moment, so I am an only child. My father supports our family by working as a warehouseman. My mother just takes care of us and spends time doing her chores at home. We are members of a Christian church called Efesios en Cristo.

Thanks to God, we live in our own house made of tin sheet walls, tin sheet roof and concrete floor with running water and electricity. There are three rooms, and one of them is used as a kitchen. My father pays for the services. We keep praying so that God provides my father the resources to prepare the corridor because some time ago it collapsed. I walk about 10 minutes to come the feeding program. Thank you so much for reading my letter.

Blessings,

Hillary Vannessa Lopez Torres

Translated by: Lucia Gravez/AAC Secretary