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 a beautiful day to greet you and share a little about my story. My name is Jarelyn Jazmin Lopez Vasquez. I was born on March 22nd, 2021, in Guatemala City. I am 5 years old and I am a healthy girl. I am attending pre-kindergarten this year. I like to play with my dolls, memory game and coloring. My favorite color is red, and my favorite animal is the cat. In fact our pet is a female cat. I love to eat breaded chicken. I have only one sister. I am very happy to be enrolled in the Zone 5 feeding program; I get there by walking in 15 minutes. My father´s name is Cristian Daniel Lopez Fajardo. He works for a company packing products. My mother´s name is Lilian Anabelly Vasquez Alonzo. She works as a janitor. I am so happy because my parents support each other to take our family ahead. Thankfully, my parents are doing very well.

My family is in good health. For now, we are not attending any church. We live in a rented room and there is no kitchen. The monthly payment is Q800.00, $107.00. It is a room made of blocks; the roof is made of a tin sheet and a cement floor. We have running water and electricity services; my parents pay for them every month. There is a field called “Maracana” where many children go to play and have fun. Our greatest needs are groceries, shoes and a stove. The old stove we have is small, and my parents cannot replace it because they are paying the rent. Thank you for stopping and reading my letter and I would like to hear from you very soon. May God bless you

With all my love,

Jarelyn Jazmin Lopez Vasquez

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