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 Joselin Daniela Albizures Tello, and I was born on June 13, 2017. I am 8 years old now. I attend school and I am in first grade. The things that I like to do the most in my free time are playing memory games, painting and drawing. I am a healthy child. My favorite color is white and I love turtles. I like to eat broth with noodles and chicken with tomatoes sauce. I live only with my mother Sayda Lisbeth Albizures Tello. She struggles to support our family working as a domestic employee. My father did not legally recognize me and did not want to be responsible for me.  I have a sister and a half-sister; she is my mom's daughter with a man named Ever Ottoniel Lopez Diego who no longer lives with us. She also attends the feeding program. Thanks to God, my family is in good health.

We do not have our own house. We rent one room and a separate kitchen made of block, tin sheet roof and concrete floor. There is running water and electricity. My mother pays for rent monthly Q. 700.00 quetzales ($ 94.00). We have fish at home. Our greatest needs are a stove, shoes, groceries and school supplies. I walk about 30 minutes from home to the feeding program. I would like to ask for your prayers for my mother for God to provide everything we need because she is the only one who works. Thank you for taking the time to read my letter. May God bless you.

Warm greetings,

Joselin Daniela Albizures Tello

Translated by: Lucia Gravez