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 able to write this letter for you to tell you about my life. This is Pablo Isaac Cabrera Chen. I was born on November 3, 2014. I am now 10 years old. I am a fourth-grade student. The thing that I like the most to do is playing football. I love blue. My favorite animal is the tiger. A delicious dish for me is pizza. Thanks to God, I am in good health and so is my family. I have three sisters and only one of them attends the feeding program. Sadly, my father passed away three years ago due to a heart attack. We continue praying for God to comfort our hearts because it has not been easy to live without him. My mother is Lesbia Edy Chen Cortez, and she struggles to support our family by taking care of an elderly couple. My family attends the Catholic church called “Santo Cura de Arce”.

We live in our own house made of block, concrete roof and floor. We have electricity but not running water; we get it from a public tap. There are three rooms but we use only one of them and a separate kitchen. My mother pays for the services We have one dog at home. Our greatest need is a closet. I walk about ten minutes from home to the feeding program. I say goodbye for now and I hope to hear from you soon.

Kisses and hugs,

Pablo Isaac Cabrera Chen

Translated by: Lucia Gravez/AAC Secretary