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, tin sheets 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! I am Melody Dayana Juracan de Paz, and I want to share with you a little about my life. I was born on October 28, 2015, so I am 9 years old. I am in good health, and I am in 3^rd grade this year. In my free time, I draw, color and play with my toys. I like penguins, and my favorite color is red. I love eating fish and noodles with meat balls. I am the only child in the family, and I walk for 15 minutes to arrive at the feeding program. My family and I attend Ebenezer Church.  

My father’s name is Mauricio Ernesto Juracan Ixmalej, and he works as a motorcycle spare parts vendor. My mother’s name is Andrea Marisol de Paz Rodriguez, and she works as a secretary to help with the income. Thank God, they are in good health. We live in my paternal grandparents’ home, and it has four rooms; we only use one of the rooms and we cook in my grandma’s kitchen. The house is made of concrete block with a concrete roof and floor. We have running water and electricity services. We have parakeets as pets. I would like to ask for your prayers for us because we live in front of a cliff, and it is dangerous. My grandma helped me with this letter, and I hope you find it interesting.

Kisses and hugs

Melody Dayana Juracan de Paz

Translated by: Loyda de Osorio, AAC Secretary-Antigua