Nueva Esperanza
Guatemala
Child
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.
Hello, my name is Seini Doménica Rodríguez Prado. It is a pleasure to greet you and share a little bit of information about myself and my family. I am so thankful that I am healthy along with my family. My mom’s name is Gaudi Doménica Prado Sicaja, and she sells clothes second-hand. My dad’s name is Edgar Rolando Rodríguez Sumalé. He is a trash collector. They both work hard to provide for me. We live in my grandmother’s house. There are three rooms, and we share one. My grandma, and my aunt and cousin live in the other rooms. The house is made of cinder blocks with a tin roof. Our biggest needs are groceries and school fees. We are very grateful to Living Water for the feeding program. I walk to the program each week. It is about fifteen minutes away. I want to tell you a little bit about myself now. I am 7 years old, and I am in first grade. I was born on November 18, 2017. I love playing soccer, playing with dolls, and coloring. My favorite color is pink. I love bunnies. We don’t have a bunny, but we do have a pet cat, and I love him too. My favorite food to eat is noodles and cream. I want to tell you that I have good health, but I do have problems with my vision that I inherited from my mother. I had cataract surgery in both eyes, and I continue to have regular checkups for my vision. I have to change my glasses often because I always need a stronger prescription. We are still walking in this process, but I pray God will heal my eyes. That’s all for now. I hope you have enjoyed learning about me. I wish you many blessings and send you a big hug.
With much love,
Seini Doménica Rodríguez Prado
Translated by: Olivia Gallardo, Missionary Intern / Antigua