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.

It is my pleasure to greet you today and share my happiness to be enrolled in the feeding program. This is Heizel Isabella Vit Lorenzana. My birthdate is July 10, 2021, and I am now 5 years old. I live with my parents, one brother, and one sister. By the grace of our Lord, we are in good health. My father is Hector Alfredo Vit Castro. My mother is Ruth Annaly Lorenzana Juarez. Both of my parents work as food delivery persons and support each other to supply our home needs. They lost their old jobs and since my parents do not have formal jobs, their income is low which makes it difficult to cover all our expenses. My siblings are also enrolled in the program, and we walk fifteen minutes to arrive at the program. Now, we are not attending any church.

Because of my young age, I am still not attending school. Mostly I stay at home, and I enjoy playing with my ball, dolls and riding a bicycle. My favorite color is pink. I love eating rice and beans. I like ducks. Fortunately, we do not pay for rent since we live in my grandmother´s house. My grandma and uncles are living there too. There are five rooms; we use two rooms and the kitchen is separate. The house is made of blocks with tin sheets; the roof is also made of tin sheets and a concrete floor. Fortunately, there is running water and electricity. We also have running water and electricity, and the whole family helps pay for these services. Our pet is a dog. We live near a school and a park. At the moment, our greatest needs are groceries and shoes for school. That is all for now, but feel free to ask for more information about me if you do want to. May God continue blessing your life!

Warm hugs,

Heizel Isabella Vit Lorenzana

Translated by: Violeta Hernandez, A-A-C Secretary-Antigua