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! My name is Wilson Alberto Yucute Andrade, and I was born on September 26, 2013. I am 11 years old now. I am a fifth grade student. In my spare time, I enjoy playing soccer, painting, coloring my drawings and watching TV. I love blue and my favorite animal is the lion. I like to eat rice and chicken soup. My mother is Maria Jose Andrade Samayoa, and she earns a living working as a domestic employee. Sadly, my father passed away in 2018. His name was Luis Felipe Yucute Alvarado. Thanks to God, my mother and I are in good health. We do not attend any church.

We live in my grandmother’s house. It has four rooms but we only use one of them. My mother shares the kitchen with my grandmother. It is made of block, tin sheet roof and concrete floor. We have electricity but not running water. A neighbor shares it with us. My mother and grandmother pay our services. At home, we have a dog and a cat. Our greatest needs are groceries, shoes, school supplies and clothing. We walk about 15 minutes from home to the feeding program. I say farewell until the next time.

Many hugs,

Wilson Alberto Yucute Andrade

Translated by: Lucia Gravez/AAC Secretary