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. 

Many blessings to you and your family. I send you big hugs. I am so happy you are reading my information today. I hope you enjoy learning about me. I am Damian Alessandro Mendoza Vasquez. I was born on September 10, 2014. I am 10 years old now, and I am in fourth grade. I live with my family in Zone 5 of Guatemala City. We live in a house that belongs to my neighbor. We pay Q1,800 per month, which is about $240, to rent one room in the house. I live there with my mom and dad, and my two brothers. The walls are made of cinder blocks. My dad is the one who pays the utility bills, like water and lights. He works hard to support my family. His name is William José Mendoza García, and he is a delivery driver. My mom’s name is Cindy Estefanía Vasquez Pineda. She doesn’t work. She stays home to take care of me and my brothers. She walks us to school and to the program, she helps us with homework, and many other things. I have two brothers, and one of them is in the program with me. His name is José Sebastián Mendoza Vasquez. We love going to the feeding program. We don’t live very far from the Nueva Esperanza program. We walk for about 15 minutes to get there. One of my favorite foods is chow-mein. On the weekends we get to go out and play with other kids in our neighborhood. We sometimes go to Christmas Park, which is near our house, to play soccer. I also love drawing and playing with spinning tops. My favorite color is orange, and my favorite animal is a dog, but unfortunately, we don’t have any pets. As a family, we attend María Auxiliadora Church. I love spending time with my family on the weekends. We pray that God will continue to provide for us and be good to us like He always has been. One of our needs is a new bed and a dresser. I hope you have enjoyed reading my information. I pray for you, even though I don’t know you, but I know God has put a good heart in you.

Many blessings,

Damian Alessandro Mendoza Vasquez

Translated by: Olivia Gallardo, Missionary Intern / Antigua