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.

Good morning! I am so excited to share a little about me through this. My name is Bequer Abraham Perez Godoy, and I am a 7-year-old boy. My birthdate is March 12, 2019. I live happily with my parents, two brothers and two sisters. Our house is located nearby a football field called “Maracana”. My father´s name is Carlos Rufino Perez Rivera. He works as a tailor and provides for our needs. My mother´s name is Laura Marcela Godoy Molina. She is a street vendor; she usually sells vitamins and jelly cakes. I like to see that my parents support each other to take our family ahead. My mom, siblings and I are in good health. As for my father, well, he is sick with Helicobacter pylori, triglycerides and uric acid. Fortunately, he takes medicines and receives medical care at IGSS (Guatemalan Social Security Institute).

I am in first grade this year. When I am at home, I like to play with my toy cars, ride my bike, and color. I like the capybara. I love the color blue. The meal I love the most is noodles, meatballs and tomato sauce. We are Christians and are attending the Church of Christ. Thank God, my father owns the house where we live. There are four rooms and we use three of them. the kitchen and living room are in the same place. The house is made of blocks, a tin sheet roof and a cement floor. We have running water and electricity services. My mom pays for the water and my brother pays the electricity. Our pets are three canaries. At the moment, our greatest needs are groceries and shoes. I am so excited to be enrolled in the feeding program; I get there in 10 minutes by walking. My older siblings take care of me and accompany me when we go to the program. Well, this is all for now, and I would like to hear from you very soon. May our Lord bless you wherever you go!

Thinking of you,

Bequer Abraham Perez Godoy

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