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.

Hello! My name is Yeshua Tsalach Camey Valle. My birthdate is November 3, 2014, which makes me 11 years of age now. This year I am in 4^th grade at school. I love dogs, and my favorite color is blue. The meal I love the most is fried chicken and fries. I enjoy playing football, coloring and playing the piano in my spare time. I live happily with my parents and two sisters. My family is in good health. As for me, well, I got sick with COVID in 2021, and one of the aftermaths I had is asthma. I use an inhaler with medication, especially when I feel fatigued, when I play football and practice Karate. I also use glasses because of a vision problem, and I have to do a checkup yearly.

My father´s name is Arnoldo de Jesus Camey Parada. He works as a delivery man and provides for our home needs. My mother´s name is Merlin Gabriela Valle Lopez. She recently started to work as an assistant vendor in a warehouse; they sell various products. My parents support each other to take our family ahead, especially to pay for my medication. Our pets are three dogs. We attend the Church of Christ “Adulam”. We rent the house in which we live, and the monthly payment is Q1800.00 = $240.00. There are three rooms with a separated kitchen. It is a concrete block house with a tin sheet roof and a cement floor. There is running water and electricity; my parents pay for those services every month. As a family, our greatest need is a bed since my siblings and I share the same bed. I am so blessed to be registered in the feeding program and I must walk 15 minutes to get there. I say goodbye to you for now hoping to hear news from you soon. Every kind of blessing over you!

Warm hugs,

Yeshua Tsalach Camey Valle

Translated by: Violeta Hernandez / A-A-C Secretary-Antigua Guatemala