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.

Hello! My name is Elaiza Yorley Oscal Tzun. I was born on September 14, 2017, in Guatemala City. I am 8 years old and I am a healthy girl. I am attending first grade this year. I like to play football, spinning tops, memory and drawing. I love the color green, and the animal I like the most is the dog. I love eating fried chicken. I have five brothers, but no sisters; they are in good health. I am very happy to be registered in the feeding program; I get there by walking in 15 minutes.

Mr. Lester Anibal Oscal Perez is not my father. He only gave me his last name, but he is not part of my life. My mother´s name is Sindi Yojana Tzun Sip. She does not live with us, and sadly, she is not very responsible. She provides only Q500.00 = $66.00 every two months. I would like you to pray for my family because we are going through many difficulties due to a lack of money. My grandma has to ask for groceries on credit in a store, and she pays the bill when my mother gives us money. Thanks to my grandma´s love, my siblings and I have something to eat. My grandma is Lidia Esperanza Zip, and she no longer works because she suffers from bone pain; due to a lack of money, she does not take medicines. She used to work in a tortilla shop. She has been looking after my siblings and me since we were very young; she takes us to school. My grandma has two daughters who help her with some money, but they argue that my siblings and I are not her responsibility, so they limit her help.

We attend a Paths of Holiness Christian Church. The house in which we live belongs to my grandmother. There are two rooms; we do not have a kitchen and my grandma cooks inside one of the rooms. It is a house made of concrete block with a tin sheet roof and a cement floor. We have running water and electricity; my grandma pays the water, and my younger aunt pays the electricity. Our greatest needs are groceries, a bed and shoes. Thank you for reading my letter. Every kind of blessing over you!

Warm hugs,

Elaiza Yorley Oscal Tzun

Translated by: Violeta Hernandez / A-A-C Secretary-Antigua Guatemala