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! I am glad to write this letter and tell you a little about my life. This is Sebastian Alejandro Santos Calderon. I was born on February 17, 2017. I am 8 years old. I am a 2^nd grade student. In my free time, I enjoy playing soccer. I like the color red and my favorite animals are dogs. The food that I like the most is pizza. Thanks to God, I am well and so is my family. About my family: my father is Jairo Efrain Santos Montenegro, and he earns a living working as a moto-taxi driver. My mother is Nataly Alejandra Calderon Velasquez; she contributes with our expenses by selling snacks in the local market. I have one brother and one sister. My family does not attend any church.

We live in a rented house. There are two little rooms and we use one as a kitchen. These are made of block, tin sheet roof and concrete floor with running water and electricity. My parents pay Q1000.00 ($ 134.00) monthly. We share the payment for the services with the other renters living in the same house. Our greatest needs are groceries. I walk about 10 minutes from home to the feeding program. I hope you like my letter and thank you for taking the time to read it.

With much love,

Sebastian Alejandro Santos Calderon

Translated by: Lucia Gravez/AAC Secretary