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 feel so happy to be part of the feeding program and be able to tell you a little about my life. My name is Fatima Yulieth Esmeralda Toledo Garcia. I was born on July 21, 2020. I will turn 5 years old. I do not attend school yet due to my young age. The things that I like the most to do in my spare time are: playing dolls, riding a bicycle and painting. My favorite colors are blue and yellow. I like to eat spaghetti with sauce. I love cats. About my family, my father is Oscar Humberto Toledo Jimenez, and he struggles to support our family by working as a mason while my mother stays at home taking care my siblings and me. Her name is Angela Esmeralda Garcia Hernandez. Occasionally, she prepares typical hot drinks to sell in order to earn extra money. I have a brother and a sister. My family does not attend any church.

We live in my paternal grandmother´s house which is made of concrete block and tin sheets with a tin sheet roof and concrete floor. It has four rooms but we only use two of them because there are more relatives living there. We share the kitchen with my grandmother. We do not have running water, so we bring it to our house through a hose from a public water supply. We do not have electricity, but our neighbors share it with us and my father and relatives pay them each month. Our greatest need is groceries. I walk about 15 minutes from home to the feeding program. I say goodbye for now.

Yours very truly,

 Fatima Yulieth Esmeralda Toledo Garcia

Translated by: Lucia Gravez/AAC Secretary