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.

Kind regards to you! My full name is Melody Karolina Jireh Nato Ejcalon, and I am glad to share a little about my life with you. I was born on July 14, 2018. I am 7 years old and I am in first grade. I am doing well, although I suffer from allergies and sore throat when the weather is colder or hotter than usual. My favorite pastimes are painting, playing with my dolls, and riding skateboard with my older sister. I have one sister and one brother. My favorite color is lilac. I love eating fried chicken. My favorite animals are cats.

Now, let me tell you about my family. We are Christians and attend a nearby church called King of the Centuries. My father’s name is Martin Nato Grijalva. He works hard in his modest business to cover all our needs, like food or medicine, when we get sick. He has a stationery store near the market. My mother’s name is Eva Carolina Ejcalon Boch. She is a great housewife and takes care of our family. We live in our own house. It is made of adobe with a metal sheet roof and a ceramic floor. It has two rooms, a separate kitchen, electricity, and running water. We live close to the feeding program. My siblings and I usually walk for five minutes to get there. I will leave you now, but I hope you found my information engaging. Take care of yourself!

Sincerely yours,

Melody Karolina Jireh Nato Ejcalon

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala