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 telling you a little about my life. This is Gael Augusto Sandoval Hernandez. I was born on July 23, 2018. I am now 6 years old. I attend school in 1^st grade. In my free time, I like playing soccer, painting, playing toy cars and drawing. My favorite color is blue and I love the cat. I like to eat fried chicken and French fries. About my family: my father is Hasiel Josimar Sandoval Ramirez, and he earns a living by working in a mechanic workshop where he is in charge of receiving and delivering the cars to the mechanic. My mother is Juana Elisabeth Hernandez Garcia, and she struggles to support us by working cooking and selling food. I have one sister who attends the feeding program too. We do not attend any church.

We live in our grandmother´s house, and it is made of block, tin sheet roof, concrete floor, with running water and electricity. There are three rooms but we only use two of them because we share the house with my grandparents. We share the expenses with my grandparents. We have a cat and a dog as pets. Our greatest need is a bed. I walk about 20 minutes from home to the feeding program. I say goodbye for now and I hope to hear from you soon.

With much love,

Gael Augusto Sandoval Hernandez

Translated by: Lucia Gravez/AAC Secretary