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! How are you? I am happy to write you this letter and I hope you like it. This is Joseph Julian Lopez Perez. I was born on January 25, 2017. I will turn 8 years old this year. I am a 2^nd grade student. In my free time, I enjoy playing soccer and watching TV. I like the color blue and my favorite animal is the Kangaroo. I love to eat macaroni and cheese. Thanks to God, I am in good health and so is my family. Let me tell you about my family: my father is Rudy Estuardo Lopez Gomez. He earns a living working as a mechanic. My mother is Lesly Anayancy Perez Lemus, and she works as a taxi and motorcycle driver. There are five of us children. Two of us are enrolled in the feeding program. We do not attend any church.

We live in a rented house made of block, concrete roof and ceramic floor. There are three rooms and a separate kitchen, and it has running water and electricity. My parents pay for rent Q. 1000.00 quetzals ($ 134.00) monthly. They pay separately for the services. We are grateful for each blessing that God has given us. It takes me about 10 minutes on a motorcycle to get to the feeding program. I say goodbye for now and I hope to hear from you soon.

Your very truly!

Joseph Julian Lopez Perez

Translated by: Lucia Gravez/AAC Secretary