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 greet you in the name of Jesus and be able to tell you a little about me. I am Oswaldo Gudiel Veliz Santizo. I was born on April 23, 2013. I am 11 years old. I am in 3rd grate at school. In my free time, I enjoy playing soccer, riding a bicycle, playing spinning tops and watching TV. I love blue and my favorite animals are dogs and bears. A delicious dish for me is fried chicken. My father is Walter Oswaldo Veliz Oscal, and he earns a living working as a house painter. My mother is, Mercedes Santizo Cano, and she does her best to help my father with our expenses working as a street vendor. She sells clothes, hair clips and other things. There are five of us children but I am the only one who attends the feeding program. We attend a Christian church called Refugio de la oveja.

We live in our own house made of wood with a tin sheet roof, concrete floor, and we have running water. There are three rooms and a separate kitchen. We do not have electricity, but a neighbor shares it with us and my father pays him each month. We have dogs as pets at home. Our greatest need is groceries. I walk about 15 minutes to get to the feeding program. I wish you many blessings in each of your activities. See you soon!

With much love,

Oswaldo Gudiel Veliz Santizo

Translated by: Lucia Gravez/AAC Secretary