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.

It is a pleasure to greet you today. I hope you are enjoying many blessings from God. I am so excited to tell you about myself through this introduction. My name is Derek Hadiel Hernández. I was born on February 18, 2020. I am five years old now, and I go to Pre-Kinder. Some of my favorite things are the color yellow, dogs, and eating spaghetti. I also love coloring and playing with my toy cars. I live with my mom and my two brothers. My mom’s name is Jeniffer Alejandra Hernández García. She is a pizza maker. Unfortunately, my father did not recognize me when I was born I was born. We don’t know much about him. However, my mom has a boyfriend that lives with us. He has been with us for three months now. His name is Angel, and he is a salesman. He helps us financially. He also helps my mom pay the rent and the lights and water. We rent our house from a neighbor for 1,500 quetzales per month, or $200. There are two rooms. The walls are made of cinder block, and we have a tin roof. We also have one pet dog. Something we would love to have is a new bed, and groceries are our main household necessity. We are so grateful for the program at Nueva Esperanza. I go with my two brothers each week. Their names are Victor Joel Orizabal Hernandez and Esdras David Santiago Orizabal Hernandez. We walk for about thirty minutes to get there. I want to tell you that we are a needy family. My mom has struggled through a lot, but thankfully her partner is helping us now. She works so hard to be able to cover our needs. We know that God will keep providing for us in His own special ways. I thank you so much for reading my information. I hope you will keep me in mind. I pray for you even though I don’t know you. May God pour many blessings over you. I say goodbye for now with a big hug. 

With much love, 
Derek Hadiel Hernández

Translated by: Olivia Gallardo, Missionary Intern / Antigua