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. I am Julian Gabriel Fuentes Guzman. I was born on September 23, 2020. I am a healthy 4-year-old boy. I am a pre-kinder student. My favorite things are: playing ball and eating beans. I like the color red and I love dogs. My father, Iram Mances Fuentes Ardiano, supports our family by working as a security guard. Please pray for my father because he had a surgery on one of his knees some years ago, and recently, he started to feel pain in this part of his body. He has gone to the National Social Security Institute to have a check-up but the doctor has not given him a solution. Apparently, he has to have another surgery. My mother, Carmen Adriana Guzman, helps to cover our expenses by selling typical snacks on the street. In addition, she does the cleaning for others in order to earn extra money. I have six siblings and the majority of them are part of the feeding program. We attend a Restoration Christian church.

Thanks to God, we live in our own house made of block, concrete roof and floor. There are is one room and a separate kitchen. We have electricity but no running water. We use big bottles to bring water from one neighbor´s house to our house. My parents share the cost of the services. We have a dog and a cat at home. I would like to ask for your prayers for God to provide the resources to have our own running water in the future. It takes me about five minutes walking to get to the feeding program. Thank you so much for reading my letter. I hope to hear from you soon.

Kisses and hugs,

Julian Gabriel Fuentes Guzman

Translated by: Lucia Gravez/AAC Secretary