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. It is an extremely dangerous area where criminals, prostitutes and drug addicts live.  

Hello! I feel so happy to be part of the feeding program and be able to write this letter. This is Alexandra Massiel Lemus Godoy, and I was born on September 15, 2020. I am now 4 years old. I am a preschool student. I enjoy playing dolls, painting and playing house. My favorite color is pink and I love dogs. The food that I like the most is refried beans with rice. About my family, my mother is Sara Avigail Godoy Oliva, and she is the only one who supports our family by selling items. My father is Juan Eduardo Lemus Buch but he does not live with us or help us in any way. I have one sister and her name is Darolyn Camila.  My family and I are fine. We attend a Christian church called “Family of God”.

Thanks to God, we have our own house which is made of block, tin sheet roof, concrete floor, and we have running water and electricity. There are two rooms but we only use one of them with a separate kitchen. My grandfather lives with us. Our greatest needs are groceries and school supplies. It takes me about 10 minutes walking from my house to the feeding program. I say goodbye for now hoping to hear from you soon.

Warm regards,

Alexandra Massiel Lemus Godoy

Translated by: Lucia Gravez